Waking Dreams
by Cormak3032
Summary: Sequel to "Survive" The Goblin King begins to experience disturbing dreams that threathen not only his sanity, but his life and the lives of Sarah and his children
1. It begins...

AN: Well my vacation from writing didn't last very long. I've actually felt really lost without writing something everyday, so I'm back. I don't know if I will have my usual chapter out a day but I'll try. I want to apologize to those who are still waiting for me to work on "Vendetta" A terrible thing called writer's block came to visit me and it won't leave! I will resume work on it as soon as I figure out where I am going with the story. I want to thank everyone who took the time to review "Survive" I hope that this story will prove to be equally enjoying! 

Disclaimers: I don't own the Labyrinth or any of the characters or placed originally in labyrinth. They belong to Jim Henson Productions, Inc. I do however own the characters and places not in the movie. 

Waking Dreams…

Corrie McDermott (Cormak)

Summary: Sequel to "Survive" The Goblin King begins to experience disturbing dreams that threaten not only his sanity, but his life as well as the lives of Sarah and his children….

It begins….

She heard him approaching, but did not turn to face him. Instead she grinned to herself and continued to gaze out in front of her. She felt his hands slide around her and one leather encased palm rested gently against her slightly swollen stomach. She smiled at the gesture and covered his hand with one of her own. He lowered his face into her soft hair. She closed her eyes and felt the cool wind blow against her face in stark contrast to the warm body that was holding her. 

So much had happened in two short months. Sarah and her daughter Aryanna had moved to live with Jareth permanently at his castle. Only 3 weeks after her miscarriage of their first child she and Jareth were delighted to know that she was pregnant once again. Jareth insisted that Megmora sit down with her everyday to use her magic to see if the pregnancy was progressing well. So far things had run smoothly and after weeks of worrying that she might miscarry the baby she felt the worry lift and she began to enjoy the gift growing within her. A gift given to her by Jareth…her lover, husband and King. 

Marriages in the Underground were nothing like those above. After it was discovered that she was pregnant and things were running smoothly for the first week, a ball was thrown in celebration of the event. The Goblin King was expecting his first child. The ball was also thrown in honor of her acceptance to be his wife and queen. There was no huge ceremony. The bride didn't feed the groom cake and vice versa, there was no reading of vows in front of witnesses. No slipping a garter up a leg and there was no flower girl to Ary's bitter disappointment. There was a dance and a paper signed to make it all legal, but that was all. One ball that announced her the Goblin Queen, Jareth's wife and the mother of his first child. 

Remembering back, Sarah felt disappointed. Toby and Cheryl had not even been present for the event as they both had not been unable to get time off from work. Jareth felt terrible that they could not be present but there was little he could do when he had invited hundreds of guests to witness the most important day of his life. 

She smiled to herself as she remembered his promise to make things up to her and their daughter. They would have a ceremony as was the custom in the mortal world and it would take place when Toby and Cheryl could find the time off. It would be a small wedding, a few close friends from within the labyrinth and Cheryl and Toby from the mortal world. She would wear a beautiful white dress, Jareth would be dressed in a gorgeous frock coat and Ary would be the flower girl. 

Her mind drifted back to reality as Jareth's lips slid gently over her neck. She turned her face in toward him and he kissed her check and using his other hand reached for her chin. He placed a kiss on her lips, soft and sweet before resting his chin on her shoulder. 

They remained in silence gazing out in front of them. Ary was running around playing tag with Ravenna and a few friends she had made while within the Labyrinth. A fairy named Finella, and a few goblins named Flip, Krag and El. Ary was adapting quite well to her new environment. She made friends easily enough and she loved not going to school aboveground. Of course that didn't mean that she didn't still have school. Jareth had personally taken on the chore to teach her the history of the underground as well as continue her spelling, math and instead of science, sorcery lessons. She grew frustrated with the lessons quickly and it was decided that perhaps if she had children her own age to learn with it would be a more enjoyable experience. Megmora took over the lessons when Jareth couldn't do them and lately he had been so busy that he hadn't the time to teach. He always made time for Ary, but he could never find the time to teach the other children. He would often teach Ary before bed, tucking her in with a bedtime story when he was done. 

He was a wonderful father whom Ary adored. She treated him as if he were her biological father, and as if she had known him since she was a baby. Jareth adored her equally and Sarah was happy to see that he wasn't spoiling her with his love, but seemed to know exactly what she needed without giving in too much. 

Jareth let out a sigh and Sarah turned slowly in his arms to gaze into his face. He looked exhausted. She reached up to stroke his cheek affectionately, his skin warm and smooth beneath her fingertips. "You look tired my love. Long day?"

He shook his head, his blond hair moving around him. "Not any longer then usual."

"Did you sleep well last night?"

'Not as well as you." He grinned and he began to imitate her snoring. 

She slapped him playfully on the arm. "I do NOT snore that loud."

"I was only teasing." He grinned.

She smiled and then it faded. She reached up to touch his face again. He closed his eyes. "I hope that my snoring didn't keep you up."

'Nonsense."

"Then what? You told me that you didn't sleep well the other night either. Is there something on your mind?" 

"I always have something on my mind Sarah. I have so many different things going on each day, but none have ever kept me awake at night, save one." He grinned.

"And what would that be?"

"Not a what but a who. You might know her. She's a very beautiful gal, long dark hair, beautiful hazel eyes, a smile that makes you weak in the knees and I dare say that it's rumored that she is carrying my child. Anyone you know?"

She grinned and swatted him away when he tried to kiss her. Instead he settled for her neck. He trailed soft kisses up from her collarbone to her ear. She shivered and tried to settle the warmth that burned within her at his touch. 

"Do I still keep you awake?"

He shook his head. He had admitted to her of his sleepless nights while she had been absent from his life. He had dreamt of her every single night since she left him. Every night for 20 years. She didn't know how he kept his sanity. For him to be that deeply in love with her and to do nothing, to not be able to do anything. To love her with all of his being and get nothing in return but emptiness in his heart when he awakened to find that she was not beside him or in his arms. 

He had admitted how he had very nearly given up on life, on everything. But he was a King so he could not. It made her sad to know that he had cared so deeply for so long and she had not even known. 

"It was nothing, my love. A few disturbing dreams. We all have them from time to time." He kissed her cheek and then rubbed his thumb over her firm stomach. "How are you feeling today? Did you see Meg?"

"I saw Meg. She said that everything is going well, she sensed no problems. The baby is developing just fine. I still can't believe that in only 2 more months this pregnancy will be over. 4 months is a far cry from the 9 I would have to endure aboveground."

Jareth grinned devilishly. "Isn't magic wonderful?"

She nodded. 

* * * 

The hard cold metal was digging painfully into his skin, yet he ignored it with all the will power he had. It seemed the more he struggled the tighter his bonds became, yet he had to escape, he had to reach her. 

He could hear her cries, they grew louder. She was chained to the wall opposite of him. She was sobbing and it was breaking his heart. Someone was torturing her and he couldn't see their face. He could only see a shadow. 

A heart wrenching sob escaped her lips and a terrible feeling shot through him. He could almost feel her pain, feel her anguish coursing his veins. His wrists were raw and bleeding from his struggling against the chains. He felt so helpless. No magic…no magic….

A horrible scream filled his ears that made his blood run cold along with an evil laugh. The shadow turned and as light touched the face. His eye brows lowered over his mismatched eyes. He knew the shadow. There was a scar on the shadow's face. Long and jagged like a bolt of lightning. It ran across the shadow's face, across the cheek. The shadow moved and he felt his heart clench in his chest. He felt the air shoot from his lungs and he couldn't breath. He could see her now, her eyes focused on himself, but she did not see through them. There was blood, so much blood. 

He trembled as the shadow stepped away from her and his eyes fell upon her form. He choked as he tried to breath, tried to believe with all that he was that what he saw in front of him wasn't real. He felt hot tears pouring down his cheeks. He tried to stop them but they fell freely. 

The shadow took it's final step away from her and it was that moment that he felt his own life slip away. 

The blade had cut her deeply. The wound ran from her heart down to her abdomen. It had not only killed her, but the child that grew within her swollen abdomen. 

He was trembling so badly that he felt dizzy, the room was spinning, his knees were weak. He still couldn't breathe. The shadow stepped into the light, a blade in its hand that glistened with blood, her blood. The face was bathed in light now. He took one good look at that face and screamed……

To be cont…..

Well what cha think? 


	2. Keeping Secrets...

Hi everyone! Glad you enjoyed the first chapter. I've gone back and edited that slightly. Hope you enjoy this one. And you guys don't have to bribe me to write. I'm going to write anyway. Although cookies, and plushies are nice every so often. : ) 

Disclaimers: see ch 1

Keeping Secrets….

Sarah rolled over in sleep, unconsciously craving the warmth usually beside her. But when she rolled over she found nothing but empty space. She opened her eyes and let them adjust to the darkness within the room. Her hand moved over the empty mattress, the sheets still wrinkled in the shape of Jareth's body. She turned slowly to her other side, mindful of her swollen midsection. There he was, standing by the window, dressed in his loose white night clothes. It was raining outside but he didn't seem to be paying any attention to the weather. 

Sarah rose from the bed slowly and crossed the room. She noticed that he seemed to be off in another world. "Hey…" she spoke softly and she gently touched his shoulder. 

He turned to face her and she grew concerned. He looked exhausted, as if he had not slept at all. 

"Jareth?"

He tried to smile at her and he touched her face gently with a bare hand. "Go back to sleep Sarah." He told her quietly. 

She shook her head. "What's wrong? More dreams?"

He nodded very slowly as if his actions were delayed. "Nothing to worry yourself over. You need your rest."

She looked at him with concern drawn all over her pale complexion and then reached up to touch his face, running her fingers along the edges of the dark circles beneath his eyes. "You haven't slept at all tonight have you?"

He sighed. It was pointless to lie to her, it would only cause her to worry more then she already was. He refused to distress her in any way for fear that the stress might do harm to herself or the baby. "No…I haven't slept much tonight."

She gazed into his beautiful eyes that at the moment were devoid of their normal spark. "Why not Jareth? From the looks of it I'd say that you haven't slept much these past few nights. What's wrong?"

"Just a few disturbing dreams Sarah, very realistic. They'll pass."

"What kind of dreams?"

"I'd rather not talk about them. I'm trying to settle my mind so that I can go back to sleep." Ok that wasn't the complete truth, but now was not the time to tell her that he was leery about trying to sleep. 

"They're obviously very disturbing if you are having trouble sleeping. You usually sleep through anything, including my snoring."

He smiled despite the way he felt and he reached for her carefully cradling her against him. His arms circled her body and his fingers gently rubbed her skin through the silk of her nightgown. "I was only teasing this afternoon about your snoring. You only snore once and a while and it's not very loud. Now.." he told her kissing her hair. "I want you to go back to sleep." She opened her mouth to protest and he silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Go back to bed, Sarah. You need your rest." He gently touched her stomach with the palm of his hand. "No ifs ands or buts about it." He brushed a kiss upon her lips and walked her to the bed, tucked her in as if he were tucking in their daughter. 

He could see that she was tired but was fighting to stay awake so he sang to her softly. She was sleeping minutes later. He watched her, wishing that he too could sleep. But he feared that the dreams would return when he closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to see her hurt, couldn't bear to hear her screams, even if they were not real. He moved to stand by the window again, watching the jagged bolts of lightning careen across the black night sky. The lightning reminded him of something from his last dream. He could not remember what exactly, only that it was something unpleasant. 

He was already dressed and gone from the bedroom by the time that Sarah awakened in the morning. She felt ill as she usually did and didn't go down to breakfast, but instead stayed within the room until her nausea passed. She finally dressed into a flowing dress and made her way to Jareth's study. She often found him there. 

To her delight he was there, sitting at his desk, quill in hand reading documents and signing things. She watched him work for a moment. He still looked tired but nearly as badly as he had that night. Perhaps after she had fallen asleep he had gone back to bed. He looked up finally, sensing her presence. "Good morning love." He greeted. He put his quill in its holder and gazed lovingly into her eyes. 

She smiled. "Good morning." She walked to him and he smiled, brushing a gloved hand across her stomach. She felt like a cow, her stomach getting so big already that she could barely see her feet. She tried to keep reminding herself that there were only two months left and this would all be over. He on the other hand loved seeing her like this, his child growing within her womb, growing before his eyes. She had gone through this once before, but alone. She was unaccustomed to his constant attention to her stomach. And his constant obsession with making sure she slept, ate and did not feel too much stress. 

His affections, attention, obsession was alien to her and completely opposite of her first pregnancy. She gently pushed his hand away from her. 

An eyebrow arched delicately over his hazel eye, the other brow lowering over his blue eye. He knew that she felt uneasy about his obsession with her stomach, but he couldn't help himself. He loved seeing her like this. He loved knowing that a child created by their love for each other grew within her.

"You are too self conscious. You're beautiful like this." He told her, tilting his head and smiling with his lips and his eyes. 

"Oh bite your tongue! This is all your fault you know! I look like a cow because of you!"

"Now now Sarah. We both agreed to this child. You knew the consequences and it was planned this time." 

"I still say this is your fault." She told him with a playful smile. 

He pulled her into his lap suddenly and allowed his teeth to graze over her collarbone. She shivered at the touch.

"Jareth!" He chuckled at her surprised expression and began to trail kisses along her neck, stopping to take her earlobe between his teeth. 

"Jareth stop!"

He pulled back looking hurt. "You don't like me to do this anymore?"

"No it's not that. We're in your study."

"So? Your point?"

She gazed at him shyly. "Anyone could just walk in here."

"Well if you're worried about someone walking in on us…." He drew a crystal and blew air onto it. It became a bubble and floated to the door where it popped. 

She gazed up at him curiously. "What did you do?"

"I safe guarded the room against intruders…." He picked her up carefully into his arms and placed her down on the soft cushions of a small couch on the far side of the room. He drew the deep cranberry curtains and smiling seductively made his way to her. 

* * * 

She smiled up at him as he lay over her. She sighed letting her hands roam over his chest. There wasn't too much they could do with her pregnancy, but that didn't mean she couldn't touch him and that he couldn't brush his lips over her. His hand always seemed to rest on her stomach, his bare fingers moving carefully over her. She had not allowed him to remove her dress, much to his disappointment, but he respected her wishes. She was incredibly shy in this state, a side of her he had rarely seen. It made him crave her all the more. 

His soft blond hair tickled her cheek as he leaned over to claim her lips in a kiss. He pulled back and she reached up suddenly noticing the dark circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted again. 

Jareth saw her staring intently at him and knew where the discussion would head if he didn't say something to distract her. "Have you spoken with your brother yet about our ceremony?"

She nodded ever so slightly, a smile tugging at her lips with the mere thought of their upcoming wedding. "He and Cheryl are going to try to get a week off to stay with us."

"I look forward to their arrival." He tilted his head at her. "I still don't know why you won't rule as queen until this ceremony. In the eyes of the people and the neighboring kingdoms you are the Goblin Queen." He lowered his face closer to hers. "And you were my queen long before the ball." He kissed her gently. 

"I know, but it just doesn't feel right without vows, a cake, bridesmaids, a flower girl."

'Hmmm, yes. Poor Ary, I certainly did not miss the look of disappoint on her face when she learned that she would not be the flower girl. I knew long before this ball that I would offer you a ceremony in your tradition, but of course she didn't know that, yourself either."

"She got over it and she's so excited about the wedding."

"I'm glad. But you're still queen Sarah." He pushed. "Whether it feels right to you or not."

"I know." She told him softly. 

"You don't enjoy the idea of being Queen? Of ruling this land with me?"

"I never said that. I do look forward to being queen although the idea does frighten me."

"Fear not. I'll be beside you every step of the way. I must say that I am looking forward to our wedding. In fact I have saved something very special for our day. Something that will make you feel very much the queen."

'Oooh and what is that?"

"It's a surprise. You'll have to wait and see."

"Fine if you're going to be that way." He grinned. "You look so tired Jareth." She told him suddenly.

He sighed. By the bog she was relentless. He couldn't blame her, he would do the same were he in her position. "Sarah I'm fine."

"No you're not."

"Sarah I'm not going to argue with you." He got up abruptly reaching for his white shirt and pulling it over his head.

"Why do I feel like you are keeping something from me?" She sat up watching him.

Jareth didn't respond. He didn't even look at her, but kept busy with the task of dressing himself. 

"Jareth, why are you keeping things from me? Why haven't you been sleeping? Are you worried about something? Did something happen in one of your dreams that-"

'I don't want to talk about my dreams." He snapped. She pulled away, startled by his sudden anger. He immediately felt guilty. "Sarah I'm sorry." He reached for her and she pulled away from him. "Sarah..please. I didn't mean it. I'm tired and…" he sighed.

She stood up, hurt shining clearly in her eyes. "When you are ready to stop keeping secrets from me, maybe we'll talk further." She started to leave. 

"Sarah, wait please." She gave him one final glance seeing his look of desperation. Ignoring it she left the room. 

Jareth sighed and then pounded a fist onto a nearby desk. He had merely been trying to protect her, to keep the worry from her. It appeared that he had only made things worse. 


	3. Advice from a friend...

AN: here is the next chapter. Enjoy! Many thanks to Xelia who has been helping me edit!!

Advice from a friend….

Jareth left the study in a flurry of cape and blond hair. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Megmora standing in the hallway. The knowing look on her face told him that she had seen Sarah flee the room and had no doubt heard him take out his frustrations on the furniture in his study. He sighed deeply. 

Meg had her clawed hands on her hips and she was shaking her head from side to side. "Tsk..Tsssk. When will you learn to control that temper of yoursss?"

"It had nothing to with my temper." He sighed and held a gloved hand out toward the door of his study. She nodded, taking it as a gesture to enter and he followed her into the room, closing the door behind him. "Why are women so difficult?" he asked, rubbing his temple with his hand. He sank into his high back chair at his desk, lazily throwing one leg over the arm of it. He sighed again, removing his hand and swinging his legs over to the front of the chair. "I was only trying to protect her…and now look what I've done. I've pissed her off."

Meg frowned at his language. Ever since his return from the mortal world he had picked up a few bad habits. "May I asssk what you were protecting her from, my lord?"

Jareth sighed. He had unwillingly backed himself into this. "I haven't been able to sleep lately. She's worried about me. I thought that if I made her see that it wasn't a big deal, she would not be worried." He stood and walked to the window, tugging on the curtains as he gazed outside at nothing in particular. "I worry about her and the baby. We don't know the exact cause of her previous miscarriage. Of course, I still have an inkling of who caused it, but he's locked away. I want to keep her away from stress as much as possible."

Meg smiled. "That isss very admirable, your highnessss. But ssshe isss bound to worry. Sshe lovesss you."

Jareth nodded, smiling as he gazed out the window. "Yes she does." He closed his eyes, his own love for her burning brightly within him.

"I know that you both worry about the baby and you worry about the queen asss well, but you can not protect her from everything."

Jareth sighed. "I know that, Meg, but that doesn't mean that I can't try. It took me 20 long years to get here. 20 years is usually nothing in the long life of an immortal. But those 20 years felt like 2,000 without her in my life. Now that she is here with me, I want everything to be perfect. I can't afford serious errors, yet I can't seem to stop making them." He crossed his arms over his chest, lowering his head, his blond hair spilling into his face. "I snapped at her. She was only asking me what was wrong…and I snapped at her. Me and my damned temper, my damned exhaustion…"

"If you don't mind my asssking, why did you snap at her?"

"Because I didn't want her to know about the dreams. I didn't want to go into detail and cause her to worry. All I need is something to happen that might be the direct cause of another miscarriage. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

"Dreamsss?"

"They're nightmares, actually. God awful nightmares. They plague me every night."

Meg looked concerned. "What are they about?"

"Most of them are about Sarah and when I awaken from one I can't stop shaking. I usually can't remember the details of them, but I know that they are about Sarah and that she was hurt. In some of them she dies. I don't remember how. I remember that someone else is always there."

"Do you know who?"

Jareth shook his head. "No, and that's what bothers me. This person is a shadow, keeping their identity hidden from me. Last night I had the worst dream yet and so far it's been the dream I remember the most details of." He began to pace slowly in front of the window. 

"I remember being chained to a wall. The bonds were so tight." He touched his wrists as he continued to speak. It was almost as if he could feel the pain those binds caused him in the dream. "I couldn't escape them and I either didn't have magic or couldn't use it. I don't remember. Sarah was chained to a wall opposite of me and the shadow was torturing her. It killed her, and laughing turned to look at me. The shadow stepped into the light and when I saw its face, I screamed and then woke up. But I can't remember what the face looked like. All I know is that lightning is important somehow."

"Lightning?" Jareth nodded. "The sshadow killed the queen?" 

Jareth nodded again, resting his hands on the corner of an oak table. "By the bog, Meg, it was awful. Her cries…it killed her, and the baby…I was completely helpless…I couldn't stop it." He lowered his head. 

Meg gently touched his shoulder. "It wass only a dream. The Queen iss alive and well and the baby iss developing normally."

Jareth nodded. "I know, but that doesn't make these nightmares any less realistic or any less disturbing. I want to sleep, I'm exhausted but I can not. I fear that the moment I close my eyes, that the dreams will return. They seem to grow worse and worse each time."

"Ssssit here." She gestured for him to sit in a blue velvet chair. He complied. Meg closed her eyes and waved her hands around him. "Other then your exhaussstion, you are healthy. I foresee no problems." She gently pressed one clawed finger against his forehead. "Ssee if that will help you ssleep tonight. If the dreamsss persssisst, let me know."

Jareth gave her a slight smile. "Thank you, Meg."

"You're welcome. Now, why don't you go find the queen before ssshe getss herssself all emotional? She will worry more, if you do not tell her the truth."

Jareth nodded. "I see that now." 

"Go on then, your majesssty."

Jareth turned to leave, but stopped, gazing back at the dragon. "Meg?"

"Yesss my lord?"

"You have been a friend to me for a long time. I think you have earned the right to call me by my given name." He smiled softly. 

"As you wish, King Jareth."

"No…no title, just Jareth."

"Jareth." She smiled, her sharp teeth showing. He nodded, seeming satisfied and left the room to find Sarah. 


	4. Forgiveness...

I'm glad that everyone is enjoying this so far. Patience for the action. It will come! 

Forgiveness.

Ary was giggling as Ravenna and El chased her around the gardens. "Bet cha can't catch me!" she cried out, racing away. The two goblins were no match for Ary. The young mortal child had long legs and she could easily outrun the goblins, with their short, stumpy ones. 

Ary wasn't paying attention to where she was going, as she was glancing back at the goblins. Two strong arms grabbed her and she screamed. 

"They can't catch you, but I can." 

"Daddy! You scared me!" She hugged her father tightly. Jareth smiled at her and placed her down gently, on the grass. 

"How did your lessons go?"

"Very well. Meg said that we did such a good job today, that we could go outside to play. It's so lovely out."

He nodded. "Where's your mother?"

"She was walking through the garden, smelling all the new flowers in bloom."

Jareth placed a kiss on her cheek. "Go on and play with your friends."

'Bye daddy!" she cried out. He waved, as she tore off through the grass, the game of tag starting all over again.

* * * 

Sarah loved spring, she always had. The trees beginning to turn green with leaves, the flowers blossoming, the warmth, the chatter of birds. 

She could hear Ary and her friends running around the gardens, playing tag, their joyful laughter filling the air. She smiled, thinking back to when she was that young, playing with her neighbors. She had missed them terribly when she had to move. Her whole life seemed to change, after that move and things had not been the same, since. 

She rounded a corner, her shoes clicking softly against the flat stone slates. This garden often reminded her of the one that Jareth had taken her to, on their first date. It didn't possess, swarms of fireflies, dancing about the night sky. Nor did it possess elegant white gazeboes or fences. But it was still beautiful, and it was a place where she could go, to find peace. 

Jareth had been so distant lately, except for their playful interlude in his study, but even that, was short lived. At times she wondered if she and Ary's decision to stay, was the right one. She loved Jareth more then anyone, but he was moody at times, and had little patience. He could snap at you in an instant, and seconds later, he was fine. 

Despite that, she knew she would never leave him. He had become her whole life, maybe too much a part of her life. She panicked if she didn't know where he was. She had begun to rely on him, for everything. She wondered if she should help Meg teach the children. It would be something to help keep her time occupied. Also she didn't want Ary to forget their world. She was only 8 years old. She could easily forget where she came from, as she matured. 

She missed Toby terribly. He and Cheryl had been busy moving into her old house. They had both taken time off for the move, and now they found it difficult to get time off for her wedding. Cheryl said that she believed she could get the time off, but Toby's boss was being difficult. The summer months were approaching and he needed Toby more then ever.

Ary had only been able to visit for two weekends, since their arrival in the Labyrinth. She didn't seem to mind as she had 4 new best friends to play with. Besides that, her birthday was coming up. She was too excited, thinking about presents and cake, to dwell on the lost time with her uncle. 

Sarah sat down on a stone bench and sighed. She removed the hat she wore. It was a plain straw hat, wide brimmed, with an emerald ribbon that had been tied loosely around her throat, to keep the hat in place. She had very fair skin, and being out in the sun too much caused her to turn red. She needed the hat to fend off the sun. Jareth never seemed to sunburn, despite his pale complexion. Then again he had magic, perhaps that was the reason. 

She sighed and rubbed her temples. She felt a headache brewing. It had been so long, since she had been plagued by one. She closed her eyes, as the headache throbbed in her head. She jumped when cool leather, brushed softly over her skin. The headache was gone by the time she opened her eyes. 

Jareth was sitting beside her, glitter scattered on the ground around him. He had used his magic to appear beside her. There was concern in his eyes as he gently touched one cheek. She pulled away, inching to the farthest spot on the bench from him. 

"You have not gotten a headache in a long time." He tilted his head, gazing at her along the length of his nose. 

'I guess I didn't have a reason to get one." The words made Jareth feel as if it were his fault. 

"You feel stress." A quiet statement, followed by a look of tremendous concern. "Sarah, I'm sorry." He whispered. He looked beautiful in the sunlight, his long hair, golden in the warm light. His blue eye was crystal blue, his hazel eye slightly lighter in hue then normal. He was an incredibly handsome man and she was lucky that some beautiful woman had not snatched his heart, before she had. But his beauty, didn't excuse his temper or his reason for keeping things from her. 

"Yeah, well so am I Jareth." Her voice was bitter, her brows slanted with annoyance, over her beautiful hazel eyes. "I mean, I thought that we were past all this bullshit. You expect honesty from me, and when it's your turn, you don't deliver." She was shaking her head, her long dark hair flowing around her. 

"I was only trying to protect you. Is that so wrong?"

Her brows rose over her eyes and then lowered. "Protect me? From what, Jareth? Life?"

He shook his head, the longer strands of his hair, falling down his shoulders. " There is enough stress and turmoil in life as it is, I thought if I…didn't add anymore…." He was gazing at her stomach and suddenly she knew, what was going on.

One of her hands instinctively touched her abdomen. "You were worried that I might lose the baby. That I couldn't deal with extra stress and it might cause me to have another miscarriage."

He nodded slowly. 

"Damn it Jareth!" she exploded. "I'm pregnant, not incapable! I can deal with things better now then I could before. Don't you see that you made me strong again? Your love for me, it brought me back. Brought me from the depths of my depression, made me able to face things. But when you start keeping things from me, I worry." Her anger seemed to have dissipated as she reached out, to stroke his cheek. It always amazed her, how soft his skin was. 

"I'm sorry. I only made things worse by becoming secretive."

"I'll forgive you, if you promise never to do it again."

He leaned in closer to her, brushing his lips against her forehead. "I promise."

"Good, now tell me why you can't sleep."

He sighed and gathered her hands into his lap. "I'm having nightmares."

"I feared as much."

"They're awful Sarah. Dreams about my past, of things I've done wrong. And the worst ones are about you."

"Me?"

He nodded, running gloved thumbs over her soft hands. His head was bowed, his hair hanging in his face. He finally gazed up at her, his expression full of fear. She felt worry in the pit of her stomach. 

"My greatest fear, is losing someone whom I love. It always has been, it always will be. Perhaps that fear drove me to promise Artyagon, that I wouldn't love again." 

He squeezed her hands gently. "I have a duty to my kingdom, but my heart belongs to you and it has from the moment I first saw you. If I lost my kingdom, it would be difficult, but I would survive. I could not however, survive without you. Every dream that I have had, with you in it, you are injured or you die. And every time that I awaken, I search desperately beside me to see if you are still there. I don't know if these dreams are a result of my fears, or something else. But these dreams frighten me. They are glimpses of what could happen." _If I don't protect you…_

She continued to touch his face. Not much frightened the mighty Goblin King, yet on more then one occasion, he had admitted to her that the thought of losing her, frightened him. "How am I dying? A natural death or is someone killing me?"

"Someone is killing you. A shadow, a man without a face. He turns to me at the last second before my dream ends and I see his face, but I can't remember it when I awaken." He lowered his head onto her shoulder and she rested hers, against his hair. "I don't sleep for fear, that if I close my eyes, the dreams will return."

"How long has this been going on?" She gently stroked his hair. 

"A few nights. I thought they would pass, but they seem to grow worse."

"Maybe you should see Meg. Maybe you're ill." She continued to stroke his hair, as if she were soothing a small child.

He sat up and looked into her eyes. "I've already seen Meg. She told me that I am healthy. I believe that she tried to protect me, with a spell. I won't know if it will work, until tonight."

"And if her magic doesn't work?"

He looked away from her. "I don't know…."

She leaned over and kissed him gently. "We'll figure something out if her magic doesn't work."

He smiled and kissed her in return. He felt her hand, bury itself into his hair and he reached for her. With his magic he made his gloves disappear from his hands. One bare hand fell upon her shoulder, the other fell to her round stomach, making slow, gentle circles over it. He kissed her gently at first, his kisses deepening as she responded. Suddenly he pulled back, his eyes wide. 

"What? What is it? Jareth?"

He gazed down at his hand on her swollen stomach, his fingers gliding over the soft fabric of her dress. "It moved. I felt the baby move." His eyes lit up as he felt the child again. Sarah smiled and brought one hand down to meet his. He positioned her hand where his had been. 

"Oh my gosh, I felt it too." She looked up at him to see that he was grinning, from ear to ear. He looked so proud. Being the Goblin King and not having any children to call his own, must have been agonizing for him. It was obvious with his care of Ary and even the goblin children, that he loved being around children. They brought out the youth in him, the goodness, the kindness. 

"You know what this means now?" She asked him. He shook his head. "I'm going to be up at ungodly hours. I'm hoping this kid isn't going to be restless like Ary was. She kept me awake for nights, moving and kicking."

"It also means that the pregnancy will not last too much longer, correct?" 

She smiled. "There will be less then two months remaining, when the weekend arrives."

He sighed, a sad look in his eyes. "I will miss seeing you like this."

"I won't! You're going to miss having to help me put my shoes on? My moaning and complaining?"

He grinned. "Ok maybe I won't miss those things, although I will miss your dependence on me, your shyness. You are always beautiful to me, my Sarah, but seeing you like this, swollen with my child, is the most beautiful thing of all."

She grinned. "Sometimes I wonder how the hell you became the Goblin King."

"What do you mean?"

"The Goblin King is supposed to be cold, cruel, manipulative, not sweet, sappy, romantic, and emotional."

"I am all of those things my love. Of course, I only like to share the sweet, sappy, romantic and emotional side with you." He placed a quick kiss on her lips and put his arm around her. Together, they walked through the gardens. 


	5. Starting to grow up...

AN: HI everyone. Hope that you all had a good weekend. I have a BIG paper coming up (my last one! Yay!) So my chapters might not be out everyday. Please be patient. Thank you for the reviews! Keep em coming!

Disclaimers: see chapter 1

Starting to grow up…

"And how do you spell…Alligator?" Jareth glanced at the word list that Sarah had written up. He had no idea what some of these words meant, but he intended to follow through with Sarah's wishes that Ary learn to spell them. After their walk through the garden they had talked. Sarah had told him of her desire for Ary to continue to learn about the mortal world. She might want to live there when she got older and she should at least remember where she came from. 

Ary yawned. "Alligator. A…l…ig ator."

"You forgot a letter." Jareth told her. He was sitting on the edge of her bed, Sarah's list in his gloved hands. His daughter was sitting up in her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, as she thought carefully about how to spell the word. 

"What letter did I forget?"

Jareth grinned at her. "I'm not going to tell you."

"But that's not fair…I haven't even seen the word list…and ..and"

Jareth grinned as the familiar expression slipped from her mouth. _Like mother like daughter._ He reached up and gently touched Ary's hair. He watched her yawn again. "You're tired. I think you and your friends played a few too many games of tag and hide and seek today. I'll tell you what, I'll leave the list here on your table and you study in the morning. Before breakfast we will go over the words."

Ary tilted her head. "Aw do I have to? Why can't I learn about the Underground instead?"

"Because your mother wishes for you to continue your studies from home. You will learn the history of the Underground from Megmora tomorrow in school."

"But why? Why do I have to learn about the mortal world? Mommy and I don't live there anymore and I hardly see uncle Toby, so I don't visit there either. I live here and I want to learn about the Underground. I want to learn about all the other Goblin Kings and the different kingdoms in the Labyrinth."

Jareth smiled and bent over to kiss her cheek. "You will, in due time. There is plenty of time to learn about the Underground. But your mother wants you to continue to learn about home. You might want to go back there someday, to live or visit for longer then a weekend with your uncle."

Ary shook her head. "I don't want to leave the Labyrinth. I'm going to live here forever."

"You say that now, but you might change your mind as you grow older."

"No I won't." She argued. 

"Ary, please do as your mother asks. It's only an hour or two of work a day."

Ary sighed, seeing that she was not going to change her father's mind. "Ok Daddy. I'll do as mommy asks."

"That's a good girl. Now where's Lancelot? Time for bed." He watched her reach for the worn bear and she snuggled with it. Jareth pulled the covers over her. "Remember, study the list in the morning. I expect you to have looked it over by the time I come to bring you to breakfast. Well go over a few words before we eat."

"Yes Daddy. Good night."

" That's a girl. Good night, little one." Jareth placed a kiss on her cheek. She rolled over and prepared for sleep. Jareth smiled as he watched her and then quietly crept out of the room. 

He found Sarah sitting at the vanity in her room. Despite the fact that they were married by underground standards, they still had their own separate chambers. Sarah rarely slept in her bed. She spent her nights in his. She usually bathed, dressed and prepared for the day in her room. 

He stepped through the door that connected their rooms to see her brushing her long hair. She had not seen him yet, so he leaned against the stone doorframe, watching her. From the back she did not look pregnant and he was reminded of how she looked when she was younger. That long dark hair, spilling down her back. He sighed, wishing that he could have been there to watch her grow up.

She turned slowly to see him in the doorway. "Did you tuck Ary in?" she asked, continuing to brush her hair. 

Jareth walked over to her slowly and took the brush from her hand. Gazing at her lovingly he began to brush her hair. "Fourth night in a row that she did not ask to be tucked in. She didn't even ask for a bedtime story. Do you think that something is wrong? Is she unhappy?"

Sarah smiled at his concern. "She's growing up. We can't expect her to want us to tuck her in and tell her bedtime stories forever."

He stopped brushing her hair and gazed at Sarah's reflection in the mirror. "I was just getting used to tucking her in, telling her stories." 

Sarah turned to face him, hearing the sadness in his voice. He turned from her, looking across the room. She rose from her seat slowly and moved to him. He pulled her against him, his arms sliding around her, careful not to pull her too close. 

"So many times I look at her and wish it could have been me…so many times I wish that I had been there.. for both of you." 

She smiled up at him sadly and brushed his blond hair back from his face. "You're here now and that's what matters." 

"I know…" he told her softly. "But still, I can not help but wonder what it would have been like to help you raise her…to be there watching her grow."

"She's not done growing yet and besides…" She took one of his gloved hands into her own and pressed his palm against her stomach. Even through the leather he could feel the child within, moving. "You'll have the chance to see this child grow."

Jareth smiled and gently kissed her lips. "Have I told you today, how much I love you?"

Sarah smiled and playfully pushed him away as he tried to kiss her again. "God you are a sap." 

He chuckled, the sound, low and deep in this throat. "But you love me for it…"

She grinned. "Yes I suppose I do." She kissed his cheek. " Ready for bed?"

He nodded. "We'll see if Meg's magic helped." He watched as Sarah took his hand and started to lead him toward his chambers. He planted his feet.

She turned to face him, her expression slightly confused. "I thought you were coming to bed?"

He pulled her to him slowly. "We always sleep in my bed. Let's sleep in yours tonight." He suggested. 

"But won't that just make things worse? You'll be in an unfamiliar place. You've never slept in my bed." He opened his mouth to speak and she cut him off "-that afternoon we made love doesn't count."

"And why not?" he feigned being offended.

"Because the only reason we made love and dozed in my bed was because we couldn't make it to yours!"

He grinned slyly. "That was a wonderful afternoon." He smiled, remembering it perfectly. They had played hooky. He had felt like an impulsive child again. The way he had whisked her through the halls and pulled her into the first available room where they would have some privacy. It turned out to be her room. 

He was supposed to be in a meeting with the nobles of a neighboring kingdom, discussing politics. Sarah was to join him for a taste of what the politics of the Underground would be like. She was recognized as his Queen by this time and was expected to be there. They had met outside the doors to his throne room, where the meeting would take place. She was incredibly beautiful that day and he suddenly wanted her, right then and there. Of course, he couldn't take her there, right outside the doors to this throne room, where anyone could have seen them, including their daughter. The nobles were inside and they would have gotten an earful! 

He had gotten a wicked grin on his face. He snatched her hand into his and they ran blindly through the hallways, like two teenagers. Sarah picked up her skirts and ran with him, their laughter echoing. A few goblin servants rushed out of the way as they tore down the hallway. They raced up the stairway to the private wing of the castle and he threw open a door, the both of them tumbling inside. He had not even closed the door fully behind him and she was already undressing him, nearly ripping the silk shirt from his body. He closed the door and proceeded to undress her. Their clothes were scattered all over the floor seconds later.

He couldn't keep his hands off of her, or his lips. It seemed that she was having the same problem with him. They barely made it to the bed and when they had, it had been the most intense love making they'd experienced yet. Normally they took things slow and easy, but that afternoon it had been different. It had been wild and totally chaotic. 

After dozing on her bed in each other's arms, they suddenly remembered the meeting. They dressed quickly and rushed back to the throne room. Sarah looked as beautiful as ever, but he in his hast had forgotten to comb his hair. It was much wilder then usual that day, but the nobles did not seem to take notice. 

"Yes it was." He noticed her eyes were sparkling with laughter. She remembered the afternoon as well as he did. "Well I guess, we can sleep in my bed, but just know there won't be anything like that afternoon going on. At least not while I look like I ate a watermelon, whole."

Jareth chuckled. "I know better then that, my love." He kissed her tenderly.

Sarah pealed back the blankets and sheets from her bed and together they crawled in. Jareth's mind was filled with images of that wonderful afternoon as he curled himself against Sarah's warm body. In a matter of moments he was sleeping peacefully. 


	6. The calm before the storm...

AN: hello everyone. Sorry about the delay in this chapter. It's a bit longer then my other chapters, hence it took me longer to write. I'm so glad to read that everyone is still enjoying this story. Keep the comments coming!

The Calm before the storm….

Jareth slowly opened his eyes. Greeted with bright light he closed them quickly and then proceeded to open them again, slowly this time. His eyes focused and he found himself to be in Sarah's bed, the soft cream colored sheets draped over his form. He felt a movement beside him and he turned to see Sarah sitting up and gazing at him. 

"Good morning." She greeted. 

He smiled. "I slept straight through. Not a single dream." He was beaming. 

"I'm glad to hear that." She smiled. 

A look of concern marred his handsome features. "How did you sleep?" He noticed that she looked exhausted. 

"I slept some." She glanced down at her round stomach. "The baby kept me up most of the night. The kid knows it can move now and move it did."

He frowned. "Perhaps Meg can weave a spell for you as well? Hers seemed to work for me." He suggested. 

She shook her head. "I'll get used to it. I'll have a few sleepless nights, but they'll pass. I'll get used to the baby's movements and when it's most active. I went through it with Ary and came out fine. I can do it again."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You'll come through with flying colors." She noticed he seemed to be in a particularly good mood this morning, no doubt due to getting some well needed sleep. He stretched and rose from the bed. With the snap of his fingers, he was dressed. 

"Show off." She shot at him and he grinned. He was strange with his magic. There were days when he relied on it heavily. Other times he preferred to do things himself, without the magic. 

"I'll see if breakfast has been prepared and see if Ary is ready to eat. Are you feeling well enough to eat?"

She shook her head. "Not just yet. I'm really tired so I might try to sleep."

He nodded and leaned over the bed, his long dark cape, hanging over him. He looked devilishly handsome this morning. He had decided upon a black open front silk poet's shirt, black pants and his usual cape with the high leather collar. He kissed her forehead and was gone from the room in a shower of glitter. 

* * * 

"Ok, last word. How do you spell, Rollercoaster?"

"R..ol..l..e.r.c.o.a..s.t.e.r."

"Very good. I see that you studied this morning."

Ary nodded. "I told you I would and I always keep my word. Mommy taught me that." She smiled. 

Jareth gave her a broad smile in return. "Your mother is very wise."

Ary looked almost shy as she said, "Daddy, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything." He smiled warmly. 

Ary took a moment and then blurted. " If you loved mommy so long ago, why didn't you come to visit her?"

Jareth sighed, letting his eyes fall over Ary's small form. She had already dressed and he had found her in her playroom when he arrived. She had set up a tea party for Lancelot and her dolls. "I didn't think that she wanted to see me again. I'm sure you have heard the story of how we met." He told her softly. Ary nodded and he continued. "She never called me and even if she had…I don't know if I would have gone."

"Why not? If you loved her then you wanted to be with her, didn't you?"

Jareth took a seat beside her. To anyone other then his daughter, the sight of the mighty Goblin King sitting in a very tiny chair with a tea party set out in front of him, would have looked incredibly silly. "We didn't leave off on the best terms and as far as I knew she had no idea of my feelings for her. I did not know what my own feelings meant. I had never loved anyone before. It was all so strange to me." He ran his gloved fingers over the smooth wood of the table.

"I…was actually angry and moody at first. I had never known what love was and for it to possess me so strongly…I fought it with everything I had, but no magic, not even my will could chase it away. It took me a good year before I finally accepted the inevitable. I had fallen in love and quite deeply with a mortal. A mortal I couldn't have." He gazed at Ary who was staring up at him with her mouth opened into an O. He realized that this all sounded like a tragic love story that mortals often wrote books about and made films about. He tilted his head and grinned at her. "It was lonely, but I survived, we all did and now here we are. Together as a family."

Ary smiled and started dressing one of her dolls. As she buttoned the tiny buttons, she glanced up at him. "Mommy used to tell me stories about the Labyrinth all the time when I was little. She loved to talk about the little man who helped her, but she really liked to talk about you. She would always smile when she talked about the Goblin King."

Jareth grinned. "Really?"

Ary nodded and continued buttoning the small doll dress. "I forgot about the stories, but when I found the books in the attic, I knew you could help her."

"You're as wise as your mother…and only 8 years old."

"I'll be 9 soon."

"Yes, I know." He smiled. "Have you thought about what you would like for your birthday?"

"I don't know. Maybe a swing set?" She hinted.

"What's that?" Jareth shot her a confused look. He still had much to learn about the mortal world.

"It's this metal thingy that has swings, a slide and monkey bars. We had them at my old school."

"Monkey bars?" Jareth looked terribly confused now. 

Ary giggled and stood, walking across the room to retrieve something. She returned to the table and sat on her father's lap. She put down a sheet of paper and with a crayon drew a crude picture of a swing set. "See?" She asked holding the picture up for his inspection.

"Ah, yes. I understand now." He was still confused, the drawing only giving him a vague idea of what a swing set was, but he acted as if he knew exactly what she was talking about. He would have to ask Sarah about swing sets at a later time. "And what else do you want?"

"Can I have a kitten? Uncle Toby and Cheryl have a cat, Snickers and he's so sweet and cuddly. I'm going to be 9 soon and I already feel like a growned up. I can take care of a pet by myself. Please daddy? Please can I have a kitten?" She pleaded him with her hazel eyes.

Jareth scratched at his neck uncomfortably. She was as irresistible as her mother when he gave her that look. He found it hard to deny her anything, just like Sarah. He would move the stars if they asked it of him…or he would die trying. "Well I don't know about that. That is something we will have to discuss with your mother." He deflected slyly. 

Ary frowned. "She's going to say no. She won't let us have any pets." She crossed her arms angrily over her chest.

One of Jareth's brows rose above his eyes. "Oh and why not?" He tilted his head, gazing at her.

"Because mommy had a dog when she was little and when he died, she cried. She still misses him. She doesn't want anymore pets because she will grow attached to them and then they will die. I never had any pets. Well except for Calli."

"Calli?"

"My gold fish." 

"Ah, you had a fish. That's a pet."

"It's not the same as something you can cuddle."

Jareth grinned. "I'm not making any promises, but we'll see." She nodded, her angry expression fading as quickly as it came. "Time for breakfast now and then you have school."

"Yay!" she cried leaping from his lap. "We get to learn more about the Underground today!"

Jareth grinned and took her small hand in his. They made their way to the dining room, Ary chatting non-stop the entire way.

The next few days flew by in a blur. Megmora's magic seemed to be the key to Jareth being able to sleep. The dreams had not returned since and he certainly didn't miss them. Sarah had found a sleeping pattern herself. Sometimes having to nap during the day so that she was able to get some rest, if the baby wanted to move at night. She was overjoyed with news from Toby that he and Cheryl had managed to get 5 days off from work the following week. She and Jareth immediately set themselves to the task of preparing for their wedding in such short notice. Invitations were sent to a few close friends in the Labyrinth, and Toby and Cheryl from aboveground. 

Sarah fussed over every last detail and wanted everything to be perfect. This was her first wedding and she wanted it to be incredible. It was decided that the gardens would be the perfect spot for the occasion. Exotic flowers from all over the Underground were brought in to decorate. The ceremony would be small, but it would be breathtaking. Ary could hardly contain herself as two goblins tried to fit her for her flower girl dress. Toby would give the bride away, Cheryl would be the maid of honor and Megmora would be a bridesmaid. Sarah was a little unsure how Cheryl would react to the dragon, but she would need to come to terms that Meg was considered family. Hoggle agreed to be the ring barer. There would be no priest or a representative from the state to marry them so Sarah and Jareth had come up with their own vows which would make the ceremony final. 

Jareth hesitantly took Sarah into the city to a bakery, so that she could put in an order for a cake. She spent a good hour in there, trying to get the chef to understand how she wanted the cake. Jareth actually found himself feeling nervous about the ceremony. He had never been married before, not by human standards. Underground ceremonies were simple and to the point, not all this fuss. That was not to say that they were not grand or largely attended, but there were not so many elements. He knew that Sarah was looking forward to marrying him by her own tradition and that excited him. 

Ary was practically bouncing up and down as she held onto Meg's clawed hand. Along with the dragon, stood her mother and father as they waited on a hillside for Toby and Cheryl to appear. Moments later the two appeared with Toby clutching the crystal Jareth had given to him so long ago. 

Cheryl's eyes were wide with amazement as she glanced at the surroundings. Jareth watched her, pride swelling within him. He stepped closer to the two visitors and bowed gracefully before them. "Welcome to my kingdom, the Labyrinth." He stepped away, gesturing with a gloved hand to the area around them. 

"Whoa." Toby let out softly. He gazed out at the incredible maze that spread out before them as far as the eye could see. There was a castle in the center of the labyrinth, a city, a forest and mountains in the distance. "Holy….Sarah, you found your way through this thing? It's HUGE!"

Sarah grinned. "Well I had some help."

"Yes, she somehow managed to turn my own subjects against me." Jareth grinned at her. Toby didn't miss the loving glance between the two. His sister seemed to be very happy here. 

"Uncle Toby, Cheryl, this is Meg!" Ary was trying to drag the dragon healer out from hiding. 

Cheryl gasped when her eyes fell upon the dragon. She hid behind Toby, clutching him tightly. 

"Oh no. Don't be afraid of Meg, Cheryl. She's very gentle. She's my teacher, and she watches me when mommy and daddy are busy and…she has healing powers!"

Meg bowed her head slightly at the human girl. "It is an honor Lady Cheryl and Sir Toby."

'Sir Toby." Toby repeated. "I'm not used to be addressed as such."

"You are the sister of the Queen, are you not?" Meg smiled softly, trying to keep her sharp teeth hidden from Cheryl. 

"Queen?" Cheryl gasped. "Sarah's a queen?"

Jareth chuckled. "Well I _am _the Goblin _King_. Sarah and I are already joined by Underground tradition. That makes her the Goblin Queen."

"And I'm a princess!" Ary cried out, jumping up and down excitedly. 

"Yes and Ary is a princess." Jareth chuckled softly. 

"Whoa, too weird. My sister and her daughter are suddenly royalty." Toby grinned, suddenly taking in his sister and niece's attire. Sarah was dressed elegantly in a royal blue dress and Ary was dressed in green with gold trim. He took Sarah's hand into his, bowing on one knee before her and kissing her hand gently. "It doth give me great pleasure to greet thee, your highness." Honors English was good for something!

"Toby quit it!" She giggled. He grinned and stood, pulling her into a hug. "God, I've missed you." She told him, hugging him tightly. 

He pulled back, his eyes lowering to her swollen abdomen. 'Geez, Sar, you're huge already. Hasn't it only been a few months?" He remembered how excited his sister had been when she had told him that she was pregnant. He knew about her miscarriage and he could imagine that losing Jareth's child had been incredibly difficult for her.

"Two." She smiled touching her stomach. At his confused expression she added. "Isn't magic wonderful?"

Toby chuckled. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"We don't know yet."

"And we don't want to know until it is born." Jareth added. 

"But you could find out if you wanted to?" Toby asked. 

"Of course." Sarah told him. "Meg has the power to tell us. We made her promise not to tell us though. It would be more fun to be surprised." Toby smiled and hugged her again. When he pulled back he glanced at the Goblin King. 

They stood before each other, neither saying a word. Toby extended a hand and Jareth shook it. "Congratulations. You're gaining one hell of a wife. And I couldn't imagine giving her away to a better man."

Jareth didn't know what to say. "Th..thank you." He stuttered softly. It was rare to see the Goblin King at a loss for words. Sarah reached for one gloved hand, squeezing it lightly when she saw a blush creep onto his pale face. 

"Well let us journey to the castle. Shall we?" Jareth asked. He pulled forth a crystal and soon the group was standing in his throne room. 

Cheryl and Toby wandered around, amazed at what they saw. Ary eagerly showed them different things in the room. The 13 hour clock which hung on the wall, her favorite tapestries. The group proceeded on a tour of the castle, the destination being a room set aside for Toby and Cheryl. It was across the hall from Ary's room as Sarah had wished. Ary showed them her playroom and her huge bedroom and the proceeded to show them her toys and dolls. 

Dinner came and went and so did the time for going to bed. Ary fell asleep, leaning against the table as the adults talked on into the late hours of the night. 

The wedding was set for the following afternoon so Sarah and Jareth finally bid everyone goodnight. Jareth carried Ary to bed, changed her clothes with a snap of his fingers and pulled the covers over her. 

"That was such a wonderful day." Sarah told Jareth after they had retired to her room. 

"It was. I'm glad to see that Cheryl got over her fear of Meg. I was getting worried."

"Me too." She told him. She smiled thinking of how quickly Cheryl had gotten used to the dragon. She believed her daughter had something to do with that. It was easy to see that Ary adored Meg. 

Jareth pulled back the covers to her bed as she went into her bathroom and changed into her nightgown. He frowned as he watched her enter the bathroom and close the door. She was still incredibly shy about her appearance. As if he would love her any less because she was swollen with his child!

He moved to her as soon as she left the bathroom. He came up behind her and placed soft kisses along her shoulder. He had changed into his own nightclothes and with his bare hand, he gently lowered one strap of her nightgown. He teased her, brushing kisses on her smooth skin. She leaned back against him, his arms slipped around her waist, one hand resting protectively on her abdomen.

"Just think…this time tomorrow we will be married."

She smiled, her back against his chest as he now ran his hands up and down her exposed arms. "Hmmm." She let out softly as he continued to kiss her. "Married…." She turned slowly in his arms, resting her side against him. She looked up at him, staring into his mismatched eyes and smiled. "I've always dreamed of getting married and now my dream is coming true."

Jareth grinned and kissed her lips. "And mine are coming true as well, love." He gazed at her lovingly, pushing the strong urge to have her, away. He knew they could do nothing until the baby was born. He pulled her toward the bed and they collapsed in it together. She settled herself against him with a sigh. With a flick of his hand, the candles in the room were extinguished and they were bathed in darkness. 

"Noooooooo!" He shot straight up out of the bed, breathing heavily, his blond hair matted to his face. 

"Jareth? God Jareth, what's wrong?" Sarah sat up too quickly, feeling the room spin. She was suddenly wide awake and there was no mistaking the fear that she felt. In the dim light of the moon that shone through her window, she saw him shaking. His nightshirt clung to him like a second skin, soaked with sweat. She released a deep breath. "You had a nightmare." She realized.

"Where are you Sarah? I can't see you. Where are you?" There was so much panic in his voice.

She could see him looking for her frantically in the darkened room. "Ssssh. I'm right here." She gently took a hold of his shoulder and he lunged at her, burying his face into her neck. She held him and rocked him gently. She could feel his racing heart, beating wildly in his chest. "It was only a dream.."

"It was so…real." He choked out, pulling her even closer. 

Sarah sighed. "I thought we had solved this problem? You haven't had a bad dream in almost a week. Why are you suddenly having one now? And right before our wedding no less!"

Jareth pulled back. "Do you think I planned this? Do you think I want to dream these horrible dreams?" She could feel him trembling.

"Of course not." She told him quietly. "You can't help it."

He buried his face into her neck once again, desperate for the contact, to know that she was alive and well, that the dream had been a lie. "I just want them to stop…. I'm going to fear going to sleep."

"I'll stay awake with you for the remainder of the night. We're going to see Meg first thing in the morning. Something isn't right here."

He nodded against her, finding comfort in her fingers as they stroked his hair. His eyelids felt heavy but he refused to give into them. He would not sleep tonight. He snuggled against her, finding additional comfort in the feel of their child moving beneath his fingertips, as he placed his hand on her stomach. Sarah sighed, resting her head against his.

Something was definitely not right. A storm was brewing…she could feel it…


	7. Losing some control...

AN: Hi everyone, sorry for the delay in this chapter. Been busy working on my paper and doing some drawing as well. I hope that everyone has had a good week. Thank you for your continued reviews. I love reading them! Special thanks to Xeli who keeps me inspired. 

Losing some control….

The night seemed as if it would never end. As tired as he was, Jareth refused to sleep. He could feel the weight of Sarah's head resting against his own. Listening to the sound of her shallow breathing, he knew that she had fallen asleep. Her intentions had been well and he could hardly blame her for dozing off. She was pregnant and she needed as much rest as possible. 

He sighed and very slowly lifted his face from her neck. She shifted and he stopped. She didn't appear to be awake, but he waited a few moments. Slowly he pulled away from her. The room felt cold without the warmth of her body. She slumped over without his body to rest on and he gently lowered her onto the sheets. She stirred again, but did not awaken. Jareth smiled as he watched her sleep for a moment. She was so beautiful, her hair spilling around her, such a vulnerable look on her face. He placed a kiss on her brow and then bent over to place a kiss on her belly. 

He grinned sadly at her. "Sleep well, my love." He crawled off the bed and glanced back at her, while he pulled a black silk robe around himself. "At least one of us can sleep." He said to himself. He quietly crept from the room, closing the giant oak door of Sarah's room behind him. 

He pulled his robe around him, as he realized how cold it was within the castle. The stone beneath his bare feet was terribly cold and using his magic he conjured up a pair of slippers. He walked aimlessly around the castle, not sure where he was going, what he was doing. His mind had left behind the peaceful image of Sarah sleeping in her bed, as soon as he had left her room. Different pieces of his dream were surfacing in his mind. Stopping by a large window, he gripped his forehead with one hand. He had a terrible headache and he was not prone to headaches. He rubbed at his temples and attempted to use his magic to hide the pain. 

"You had another nightmare…didn't you?"

Jareth jumped, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. "By the bog Meg, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Heart attack?" she echoed. Her scaly brows wrinkled in confusion. 

"Ah.. my apologizes. Being around Sarah, I've picked up phrases from her world."

"Sssuch asss the unnecessssary cursssing?" Jareth winced. A scaly hand rose and hovered in front of his face and Jareth watched it curiously. "You are in pain." 

Jareth nodded. "A headache. I've never gotten one before."

"Yess…magicsss are ussually not ssubject to the sssame ailmentss as mortalsss. How very curiouss for you to get one." She waved her hand over him once more and the headache was gone.

"Thank you. Sarah gets headaches when there is too much stress in her life, or if she is deep with worry. Perhaps it is merely that."

"You have been worried before and you have never gotten a headache." She told him with a raise of one scaly brow.

"I know." He turned to look curiously at the dragon. "What are you doing awake at this late hour?"

"Sssomething in the air did not feel right." She told him, inhaling deeply.

"What do you mean?"

"I sssenssed ssomething. I can not explain it in great detail, but something isss amissss. You dreamt again tonight."

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I guesssed by the way you were roaming the hallsss with no place to go. And I ssenssed it asss well."

"You sensed my dream?" Jareth looked at her curiously. He had known Megmora for years and she had never been able to sense his dreams before. She could sense his distress, his pain, but never his dreams.

"Yesss, which hasss me worried. I believe there iss magic involved in sssome way."

"What are you saying? That someone is sending me these dreams?" One brow rose delicately over his brow.

"I do not know for sssure." Meg told him shaking her head. "What did you dream about? How many dreamssss?"

Jareth leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "It was only one dream, but it was enough to keep me up for the remainder of the night." He sighed heavily. "It was the worse one yet." His hand rose to cover his mouth and his brow furrowed, causing him to look pained, depressed and very worried. " I thought that we had gotten rid of the dreams. Your magic worked for so long and then it happened again." He ran a desperate hand through his wild blond hair. He turned to Meg, looking incredibly vulnerable. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

It was then that Megmora realized that these dreams were far worse, then words could describe and far worse then her King was letting on. The Goblin King was a very strong man, who usually kept his emotions in check and carefully balanced. Yet now as he stood before her he looked lost and broken. Almost how he looked when Sarah had lost the baby. He had never shown this side of himself to her. She imagined only the Queen had seen him at his most vulnerable. 

"Doesss the Queen know?"

Jareth nodded slowly. "She knows about the dreams. I haven't given her too many details. I don't want her to worry and the less I think about them, the less the horrible images invade my mind."

Meg gazed at him sadly. He was still keeping so much of his turmoil to himself. It was terrible for him to bottle up these feelings and emotions within him.

Jareth turned to the window, arms still crossed over his chest. He didn't look like the insolent Goblin King who shouted and kicked goblins. He looked human in a way, mortal. Pulled down from his high and almighty pedestal. He was definitely not the same man she knew him to once be. He was not the spoiled prince she had met when she was younger. The fact that he stood before her in his nightclothes and a robe only added to her fear. The Goblin King wandering around the castle at night in his nightclothes? That was unheard of. Even when he would pace at night after dreaming of the mortal girl, sweat lining his brow, he was dressed in his usual attire. Perhaps it was the clothes he wore that made him look so much more vulnerable right now…but Meg doubted that. 

She suddenly realized that he was talking again. "Tonight I nearly lost it. I awakened and I was so upset by the dream that I couldn't stop shaking. I was disoriented and didn't know where I was. I really thought that she was dead and that….that." He sighed. _That scared the life out of me…_

"Did you feel better once you realized that the Queen wass alright?" Meg asked quietly.

"Slightly, yet even though I could see her, touch her, at first, I didn't know what was real. Was the dream real and I was sleeping and dreaming she was alive? Or was she alive and I had another dream? After a few moments I realized I had another dream." He looked desperately at Meg. "Why is this happening to me? Why can't Sarah and I enjoy some peace together? Is that so much to ask for? It's one bloody thing after another. Is this punishment for my past?"

Meg sighed. "Life isss not eassy. You have finally learned that. It was the Queen hersself who taught you that lessson. You learned it when ssshe did not accept your offer to sstay with you in the Labyrinth so many yearsss ago. And you learned it again and again asss the two of you sstruggled to be together. I underssstand your frusstration and I agree that you both desserve ssome peace…"

"Then how do I achieve it?"

Meg lowered her head. "I do not know…We musst find the sssource of the dreamss first. Only then can we hope to bring you peace." Meg looked into his eyes. "The Queen isss worried about you. You sshould attend her."

Jareth's eyes widened. "She's awake?"

"Yesss and quite worried. I can feel her worry."

"Then I shall hurry back to her. Thank you Meg." The dragon nodded. The Goblin King disappeared in a cloud of glitter. 

Sarah was hurriedly pulling on a robe when Jareth reappeared in the room. She looked up at him, dropping the robe and rushing into his arms. He gladly accepted her embrace. 

"God Jareth, you frightened me. I woke up and you weren't here."

"I needed to think…I'm sorry that I frightened you."

She looked up into his face. "Did you have another nightmare?"

He shook his head, reaching out with a bare hand to smooth back the hair from her face. "No. You had fallen asleep and I wanted to think…I needed to get out of the room. I didn't want to wake you."

She rested her head against his chest. She could feel the warmth of him right through his robe and night shirt. "What were you thinking about?"

"All I ended up thinking about was the dream. Pieces of it coming together in my mind." She looked up at him and noticed that he was staring at her intently. He looked frightened. 

She reached up to stroke his cheek with the back of her fingers. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. He was trembling slightly and she hugged him. "Just remember something important." She withdrew her hand from his cheek and waited until he reopened his eyes. Once he had, she stared into them intently. "I'm alive and well and so is Ary and the baby. Every time you see me killed or hurt, it's a dream. Just remember that."

"It's so difficult….they seem so real…" he gripped her arms tightly. "I don't want to lose you Sarah."

He looked so pained and it made her heart ache. "You're not going to lose me. Don't let these dreams drive you crazy."

"I'll try not to." He gave her a lopsided grin trying to shake the fear, and uncertainty from him.

"Are you going to be ok for the wedding tomorrow? Or should we postpone it?"

"I'm all right. Your brother and Cheryl are here, everything is set up and ready to go. I will not let dreams destroy a joyous occasion in our lives." He leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. 

"I'll pull through this Sarah, I will. But it's going to be difficult. I don't know what is causing these dreams and neither does Meg at this point. Not knowing, is rather unsettling, but there is nothing I can do about that."

She returned his kiss. "We'll figure it out and things will turn out all right. Now come back to bed." She reached for his hands and pulled him back with her. 

"I…"

"Jareth you can't stay awake forever. Remember, I am alive and everything else is a dream. Ok?"

He nodded, and shoved the last remaining feelings of fear away. He followed her to the bed and crawled in beside her. He pushed all the terrible images and thoughts away and focused on the joy in his life. His eyelids grew heavy and sleep claimed him as thoughts of what the baby would look like, filled his mind. 


	8. "I didn't do it!"

AN: Here is the next chapter. Guess who finished her term paper! Oh yeah! Boy do I feel better about that! That means I have more time to write now. I want to thank everyone again for reviewing. Again I want to thank Xeli who inspires me with her friendly rivelry and our late night chats. For those who have been waiting for action…it's on it's way!

Disclaimers: Please see chapter 1. 

"I didn't do it!"

The slap stung his face and he reached to touch his cheek where she had hit him. He looked at her in shock. He had just returned to her from his recovery, overjoyed with merely the thought of seeing her again and this was what he got? A slap across the face?

"You bastard!" She cried out at him. 

His brows furrowed. "Sarah…"

"Don't Sarah me! You left me! Just like Adam left me! How can I ever trust you again?"

He advanced toward her and she stepped away. "Sarah…I've returned now. My injuries are healed." He pushed up his sleeve revealing the smooth white skin of his arm, fully healed. "I didn't leave you Sarah."

"You didn't return either. Get out!" She pointed at the nearest door. 

He could hear his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. "Sarah…" he couldn't even recognize his own voice. It was a desperate plea. 

'GET OUT! I don't want to see you ever again! And you're not to go anywhere near my daughter!"

"Sarah, you're being unreasonable."

"Unreasonable? Unreasonable Goblin King? I don't think so! Not when it comes to my welfare and that of my daughter"

He advanced toward her and she stepped away again. "Sarah I am here to help you, not to hurt you."

"I don't need a protectorate, Goblin King." She spat.

"Ah yes. You see, she has one already. So sorry, but your loss." The voice seemed to come from all directions. And then a figure was suddenly beside Sarah. Draped in a dark cloak, a hood hiding his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Jareth asked angrily, gloved fists clenched by his side. 

"Your worst nightmare." 

Jareth looked confused. Who was this man? Where had he come from? Sarah didn't seem surprised of his presence in the least. "Sarah, who is this man?" His heart began to ache in his chest. "Were you seeing someone else? Someone I didn't know about?"

She smiled and it was very cruel. The man beside her laughed. "Aw, is the poor Goblin King confused?" she chided. 

"So gullible when it comes to mortal women…" The man said in a deep voice. 

Jareth ignored him and concentrated on Sarah. She was standing with her hands on her hips. "You don't actually mean to tell me that you loved me, do you Jareth?" she purred. "Such a pity, but let me tell you something." She walked to him and leaned over. "You have no power over me." She whispered into his ear. His eyes widened. She was laughing at him, she thought he was a joke. 

"You don't feel the same…?" His voice held caution and hope at the same time. 

Sarah laughed and the man beside her stepped forward and grabbed her, placing a hard kiss on her mouth. 

"She is mine Goblin King. You had your chance with her."

"Sarah…"

"Jareth you are so pathetic…I never loved you and I never will. You're nothing but a loser. Bested by a teenager, how pathetic. Do you think I would ever want to be with a loser?"

Jareth felt his heart shattering within his chest. "Sarah, you don't mean that…"

"Of course I do." She rested her head against the man's shoulder. Jareth still had not seen his face. 

"So trusting…"The man was doing something within the folds of his cape and suddenly Sarah cried out. He pushed her to the ground and Jareth gasped when she saw a dagger protruding from her back. She was wheezing as she tried to breathe. 

Jareth was on his knees in an instant , cradling her form in his arms. Regardless of her harsh words, he still loved her, he always had. "Sarah! Sarah don't you die on me!" 

"Such a pity…" The man's voice echoed and Jareth looked up to see that he was gone. All that remained was the dagger, bloodied on the floor where he had once stood.

"Sarah!" 

"Jareth, I'm sorry…he made me betray you…"

"Hush…" he tried to still her. 

'No…I..have to tell you…before I go…" 

"Ssshhh, don't talk like that…we'll have you better in no time."

She reached up, one hand touching his face. "I…love…you. I..always..have.."

The tears were pouring down his cheeks as he held her. Her eyes rolled back and the rise and fall of her chest ceased. Her form no longer moving in his arms.

"NO!!! Sarah!!!" He buried his face into her neck, sobs wracking his slender body. No it wasn't supposed to be like this…they would marry one day, she would be his queen…she would the mother of his children… it wasn't fair!

"Mommy!" 

The startled cry made Jareth jerk his head up and away from Sarah. 

"You monster!!" Ary cried out as she rushed into the room. "You killed my mommy!"

Jareth shook his head in misbelief, his mismatched eyes wide with fear. "No…I.."

"Get away from her, you monster!" She rushed at him beating his shoulder with her tiny fists. Her blows hurt far more then they should have. Jareth pulled away from Sarah, tears staining his pale cheeks. He cried out when he saw her blood all over his hands. "Mommy…mommy!" Aryanna was sobbing, her face buried in her mother's neck.

"I didn't do it…." He offered lamely when Ary gazed at him. 

"I don't believe you!"

"I didn't do it! I didn't kill her!"

'yes you did! You killed my mommy! You killed my mommy!"

'I didn't do it!"

"Jareth, wake up!" Sarah's voice. Someone was grabbing his shoulders, pounding his chest, but all he could see was Sarah's blood on his hands when he looked down.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" he cried out in anguish. He heard a crash and a startled cry and his eyes flew open. They found darkness. Where was he? His body was lathered in sweat as if he had just run the Labyrinth from start to finish without stopping. His whole body was shaking so badly that the bed was creaking. 

A soft moan caused him to crawl across the bed. Lying on the floor was…Sarah? No it couldn't be. He shook his head. The man had killed her. She was dead. Yet there she was, lying on her side, her stomach swollen. She was pregnant, but she had not been pregnant before. He didn't understand. 

She turned her head to look up at him. His face glistening with his sweat, his hair in his eyes and face as he peered down at her. She sat up, gazing almost fearfully into his eyes. 

His breathing was labored as he sat back on the bed, staring intently at her. 

"This has got to stop." She told him.

"What?"

"These nightmares." Things came rushing back to him and he realized that he was in Sarah's room. The child she carried was his. Their wedding was supposed to be in the morning. Her brother and his girlfriend were visiting from the mortal world.

"What…what did I do? How did you end up on the floor?" She looked away from him and he sat back. "I pushed you…I hurt you.. didn't I?"

"No..no." She got up and sat beside him. He looked at her cautiously. "You didn't hurt me."

"But I pushed you off of the bed?" She looked leery. "Tell me Sarah."

She sighed and nodded slowly. "Yes. I tried to wake you and you screamed and pushed me away from you." She gazed into his eyes and then looked away. "You kept saying, 'I didn't do it, I didn't kill her.'"

He sighed heavily, his body still shaking. "A dream." A realization more then reassurance. 

"Who did you kill?"

'I didn't kill anyone!" he roared at her. She pulled back slightly. 

"Ok..ok." She told him. He looked back at her confused and heartbroken. She reached for him and he hesitated briefly before burying his face into her neck. She was surprised when he began to sob, but didn't say anything. She merely rocked him in her arms. He gripped her tightly, still somewhat unsure if this was real, if she was real. 

He finally pulled away from her. 

"Are you ok?" she asked wiping tears from his cheeks with one hand. 

He shook his head miserably. "No.." he told her truthfully. 

"Oh Jareth…this isn't normal. Something is wrong with this situation."

"I know…" He rubbed her shoulders gently, needing to feel her, to know she was real. Suddenly he gasped, pulling his hands away from her. 

"Jareth?"

"No! I didn't do it! But the blood…" He looked at his hands, then squeezed his eyes shut, as he shook his head from side to side. 

"Jareth…what blood?"

His eyes shot open and he revealed his hands to her. "The blood on my hands! Can't you see it!" He roared angrily. 

Sarah shook her head. She saw his bare hands, pale with long slender fingers, devoid of scars or marks. Saw two perfect hands that were capable of making her feel things she had never imagined. She saw no blood. "There is no blood on your hands, Jareth."

"There is blood! I see it!" he gripped her with his hands, shaking her. "Don't lie to me! I see the blood! Don't you see it?" He released her. She was staring back at him with fear in her wide hazel eyes. 

"Jareth there is no blood on your hands." She reached for his hands quickly before he could have another outburst. "Look closely." She turned his hands so that his palms faced up at him. 

He looked closely. The blood faded revealing his pale bare hands. He let out a sob and collapsed onto the bed, burying his face into the blankets and sheets, in front of Sarah. 

Sarah shivered for a moment. She had never been afraid of Jareth, yet at his moment she was. He had never been rough with her and he had certainly never lost control over his emotions or his grip on reality before. She gazed down at him. He was sobbing softly, and the sound broke her heart. 

She felt so helpless as she gazed at him. She wanted to hold him, wanted to pull him into her arms and never let him go, but she was hesitant to. What if he had another waking dream? What if he became violent and hurt her or the baby, even though he didn't mean to? 

She exhaled loudly and quickly got off the bed. She grabbed her robe and left the room without a backward glance as she rushed blindly down the hallway. She needed help….He needed help…


	9. My own way....

Ah more glorious angst…. I'm so excited! I bought my tickets to see David Bowie live in August!!! Eeeek! Is it August yet? Well here's the chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimers: please see chapter 1…

My own way…

Sarah ignored the cold stone floor beneath her bare feet as she rushed through the halls. Her robe drifted around her as she went, billowing like one of Jareth's capes. She stopped in front of a large oak door and pounded furiously with her fists. 

She expected Meg to be asleep, but the door opened quickly. The healer looked as distressed as she, herself probably looked and definitely as badly as she felt right about now. 

"The King had another nightmare." A statement, not a question. 

Sarah nodded furiously, biting her bottom lip. She had not admitted to Jareth how afraid that she had been when he had pushed her off the bed, and how frightened she had been when he had yelled at her about the blood on his hands. She couldn't keep the fear buried and she showed it freely to the dragon.

"Ssomeone is ussing magic againsst him."

"Magic?"

"Yessss. I'm sssure of it. I can not sssenssse itsss sssource, but I sssenssed itss ssending."

"Who would want to send him these horrible nightmares? Who has the power to do that?" Sarah realized that she had much to learn about the Underground. She still did not know all of Jareth's enemies or friends. She did not know of all of the creatures that lived in this world. She was in nearly all sense of the word, a novice. 

"I have a few theoriesss, but let uss ssee to the King first." Sarah nodded, realizing that she was biting on her fingernails, one nail already non-existent.

They walked quickly to her room. The door creaked open slowly and Sarah was almost afraid to see Jareth. Her eyes fell slowly upon his form. He was standing by the window, dressed in his usual clothing. White poets shirt, black tights, black knee high boots, and his long cape with the high leather collar. Sarah was surprised by the change in outfit as well as his rigid stance. When she had left him he had been so vulnerable. Fallen over, face buried into the sheets of the bed. Apparently, things had changed. 

'Jareth?" she called softly. It was a few moments before he turned his head to gaze at her. Sarah gasped at the expression on his face. Icy cold eyes stared back at her. She shivered. 

"There was no reason for you to fetch Megmora." His voice was devoid of its usual warmth. 

"No reason?" She started bravely. "Jareth you were-"

"Things are under control now. I shall deal with this in my own way."

"Yeah, well you tried that before and it didn't work so well. Not even Meg's magic worked. Admit it Jareth, something is going on and even YOU can't stop it."

'I'm fine Sarah."

"You're not fine Jareth!!" she shouted. One eyebrow arched over his eye as he watched her. God she wanted to smack that look off of his face. She sighed, collapsing onto the bed, cradling her stomach with one hand. 

Meg was at her side in an instant. "You feel pain…" Sarah nodded miserably. Finally, an emotion other then coldness formed on Jareth's face. He looked concerned. Sarah didn't notice it, all she knew was the growing pain in her abdomen. "Breathe normally." Meg ordered her. 

Sarah did as she was told and slowly the pain subsided. 

"You'll be all right. The child wassss ssshifting, but you sshould resssst." She stood her full height, which was about 7 feet and pointed a finger at the Goblin King. "And you ssshould know better then to behave like thisss!" She scolded. "Wasss it not you, who wisshed to keep the ssstresssss from her life?"

Jareth replied with a cold glare. "And you should beware of overstepping your boundaries." He warned. 

"Jareth…" Sarah started. 

"It'sss all right, Lady Sssarah. Leave it be. I want you to ressst." Sarah nodded. Meg cast a harsh glance at the Goblin King as she helped Sarah back into bed, then she left the room, without another word. 

"What the hell was that all about?" Sarah asked as she settled her back against a pillow.

Jareth crossed his arms over his chest and turned back to the window. He was acting like such a child. She didn't understand where this was coming from. 

"Jareth, answer me." Her voice became soft. "You were on the edge of breaking down when I left the room…and now…"

"You will not see me break down again." He told her. 

"If you have another nightmare, you can't control that. You can act like the high and almighty Goblin King right now while you're awake, but what happens when the next dream comes? You'll be crying on your hands and knees again."

He turned to her, his cape flying around him. "I am stronger then this Sarah. I always have had the strength. I let myself become too soft."

'Too soft? Oh is that what being with Ary and myself has done to you? It's made you too soft? What a fucking pity." He was taken back by her sudden anger, not mention language. Sarah rarely swore.

She fought back her tears bitterly as she moved from the bed and stood. She pointed a finger at the door. "Get out… I can't bare to look at you right now." A brow rose above his eye. "What's the matter, you don't understand English? I said get out."

A wave of fear crashed over him as pieces of his dream crowded his mind. A mind he had tried to empty from the disturbing scenes he remembered all too well. 

"Sarah…" His voice was suddenly soft. He knew his mistake and knew it quite well. In his quest to protect himself by erecting a shield to block the dreams, he had hurt Sarah and now was not the time to hurt her. Not with a marriage planned in the morning and a child on the way. 

"I want to sleep, get out. And the wedding is off tomorrow, until further notice."

His steps brought him across the room. "Excuse me?" His voice sounded bitter, but inside he was shaking with fear. 

"Are you deaf too? I'm not marrying you tomorrow."

Raw anger crashed through his carefully constructed barriers. The ones that had been put in place long ago. "You're not marrying me?? Where did this suddenly come from?"

"Where the hell did your old arrogant behavior come from? I didn't say that I'm not marrying you at all, I said the wedding is postponed until further notice. I don't care what the hell you say. You are not feeling well. I can see the sweat glistening on your forehead. I'd bet my life on it that you're feverish. The nightmares are making you sick, driving you to the brink of losing control." She reached for his face, to touch his forehead and he pushed her hand away.

"I have total control." He attempted to show her, by standing his full height and by looking intimidating.

Sarah chuckled. "Yeah…keep lying to yourself." She crossed her arms over her chest. "The marriage ceremony is off until we figure out what is wrong with you."

"This is ridiculous."

Sarah walked toward him, pointing a finger at him and then she poked him hard in the chest. "What's ridiculous is the way you are suddenly denying things! You are not well, Jareth! You pushed me off the bed, you saw blood on your hands when there was none!" She reached up quickly swiping her hand across his forehead. "Just as I thought. You're covered with sweat! Your walls are falling Jareth…I don't think anyone could have the strength to beat something like this."

"I'm fine."

Her brows lowered over her eyes. "Sure…whatever. Why don't you go sleep in your own room tonight until you realize what's going on, hmm? I need to sleep." She pointed to the door that separated their rooms. 

"Are you kicking me out?" His voice sounded amused and Sarah wanted nothing more then to break down and cry. He was reverting back to the cold Goblin King she met so many years ago. He was burying the man she had grown to love, that her daughter had grown to love. 

Was this man who stood before her the one she wanted to marry and spend the rest of her life with? Someone who changed his emotions as many times as he changed his clothing in the course of a day?

"Just go…" she let out softly. She was tired and she felt defeated in a way, although her anger still held firmly. 

He gazed at her long and hard for several moments before he made his way toward the door. She was about to settle back into her bed and had seated herself when she saw him stumble and grip the doorframe. 

"Jareth?" She stood, all traces of her anger, miraculously gone. 

He was losing his balance, reminding her of the night he had come stumbling into her house, injured. She was at his side in a heartbeat. "Jareth?" she tried again. Her voice was frantic. 

As he sank to his knees, he turned his head to gaze at her. His shield was gone from his face and desperation and honest fear gazed back at her through his eyes. She reached for him, trying to steady him and keep him from falling to the ground. It was no use. He was too heavy for her and she was in no condition to catch him. 

His eyes were closing. "Jareth!" She tried again, shaking him. He slumped against her, his head rolling forward, his chin to his chest. She shook him again and he didn't respond. She looked around the room frantically. 

"Someone help!!!" she cried out. Her shout was met with the quiet of the Labyrinth and the castle. "Help!!!"

She buried her face into Jareth's soft hair and sobbed to her heart's content. 


	10. A plot revealed...

AN: Oh boy, really long chapter here. 6 pages. Go me. Well this chapter should start clearing some things up. A lot is revealed here. Enjoy!

To Xeli: I beat you, I beat you! Sorry. Couldn't resist. Thanks for the DB lollies btw!

To Helen: We're going to see David Bowie! Damn, how cool would it be if we could go together? That would be so fun! At least we are going at all. You'll have to tell me everything about the June show and I'll fill you in on the August show. : ) 

My thanks to Lostfeyth, Anne Marie, Silver Space, Labyrinthgrl87, crystalqueen, Helen, MissXeli, Redaura, Moon Blossom, Tira Wolf, Tifani Ferisu, JGK, Anita Knight, Charli, Ifonly, General Sephiroth, keikat25, for their continued reviews. My apologies if I forgot anyone. I got all the names off the current reviews page. If I missed you, it was not intentional! I love all of my reviews, Jareth clones to you all! 

A plot revealed….

Sarah was not even aware that someone had entered the room until her brother's familiar arms circled her. She gazed up at him, tears streaming down her beautiful face. 

"God Sarah, what happened? I heard you scream from all the way down the hall." 

"Oh Toby, it's Jareth."

Toby looked past his sister's tear stained face and saw the Goblin King leaning against her. His head was leaning forward and he looked to be unconscious. "What happened to him? Did he just collapse like that? I mean that's kinda odd, seeing as you're the one who is pregnant."

Sarah was about to answer when she saw Meg standing over them. "Help me carry the King to hisss own bed, Ssir Toby." Toby had a million questions floating around in his mind right now. He had the suspicion that Sarah and Megmora knew what was going on and that they had been keeping it to themselves. 

He nodded to the dragon, who was already attempting to lift the fallen King off of Sarah. Sarah had successfully gotten herself stuck underneath him when he had fallen. 

"Are you all right Lady Ssarah?"

"I'm fine, Meg." She was already on her feet the moment Meg and Toby had lifted Jareth. They carried the unconscious King to his own bed, laying him down gently on the mattress. Meg pulled his boots from his feet and Sarah began helping her undo his cape. Stripped down to only his poet's shirt and tights, they pulled the blankets over him.

"It'sss worsse then I feared." Meg told Sarah grimly as she began to observe the king with her magic. "Ka mefarrre." She spit. 

"Ka me far?" Toby echoed. "What does that mean?"

"Idiot or bafoon. In dragon, of coursssse." Meg told him. 

"Why are you calling Jareth an idiot?" Toby asked. It was obvious from his expression that he was thoroughly confused. 

"Becaussse he refussess to confide in othersss. Had he not been keeping everything to himssself, he might not have folded thiss quickly."

"What are you saying Meg?" Sarah asked her.

"I wasss worried that he was keeping thingss to himsself. I thought that sssince he had you, he might confide in you. But I learned from him the other night, that he wass keeping certain thingss to himsself. Not only hasss he had to deal with the dreamsss but the fearss, the emotionss that are asssociated with the dreamsss. He hasss bottled thingsss up within him, which in turn hasss made everything much worsse."

"Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?" Toby asked the two ladies.

Meg sighed. "Sssomeone isss ssending the King nightmaress. No doubt a plot to take over hisss kingdom." 

"That's what you think this is all about?" Sarah realized that she had never sat down and thought out someone's reason for doing this to Jareth. 

"What elssse would it be?"

"But who?"

"It could be anyone. All they would need to do iss capture a Dreamweaver." Sarah's mouth opened and she was about to respond, but Meg cut her off. "The King tried to block the dream that was ssent to him. The magic collided and that isss mosst likely why he collapssed. It would be wisse for us to talk before he awakenss." She gestured for Sarah and Toby to join her by Jareth's desk on the far side of the large room.

"The two of you have me so confused right now." Toby said as they stood together. 

"It sssoundsss confussing, but in reality, it'sss not." Meg told him as she leaned back against the desk. "While the Goblin Kingdom hasss not alwayss been the mosst dessireable Kingdom in the Underground, itss ssstatiss hass changed within the last 20 yearsss." Her eyes fell upon Sarah. "That would be your doing, yer Highnessss."

"My doing?"

Meg nodded. "You musst remember how the kingdom and the Labyrinth looked many yearsss ago, when you defeated it." Sarah nodded. "No one knowsss exactly why the King fixed up the Kingdom, made it a more dessirable place to live. He kicked the goblinsss out of the casstle, the trassh wass cleaned, cracksss in wallsss repaired. But then a few of usss have our theoriesss. I, being the closssesst thing to the King'sss advissor have been aware of hisss condition." Sarah stared back at her blankly. 

"The King fell in love with you, the moment he sssaw you. He had pined over you for 20 long yearsss. He dreamt of you every sssingle night, the dreamsss often keeping him awake well into the morning hoursss. My belief isss that he fixed up the Kingdom, jusst in casse you would one day return. He knew you would be older, more mature. And what grown mortal woman would ever want to rule the Goblin Kingdom asss it had been before? The King had let it fall into dissrepair. Goblinsss ruled the place more then he did at timesss. But he changed all that. Your return wass perhapss a small hope within him, and the chance of you actually returning, sssmaller then that. Yet you did return and King Jareth hass proudly sshown hisss sssubjectss and other noblesss that he hass a queen, a very beautiful and quite desssirable queen. Although you have not taken active duty, you are ssstill the Queen, by Underground law."

Meg sighed crossing her arms over her chest. "Ssso now, The Goblin Kingdom hass been resstored to itss former glory, iss better then itss former sself and sssitting in the throne isss a Queen whom isss not only beautiful, but unfamiliar with Underground law and cussstom. Trying to overthrow the King got no where, asss Gorgin will attesst to, ssso how does one get their grubby handsss on the Goblin Kingdom?"

Sarah gasped. 

"They go for the Queen, manipulate her to get the crown…" Toby said. 

"Yesss. Get the Goblin King out of the way by feeding him nightmaress, which will ressult in hiss downfall and ultimately hiss death and a grieving Queen is an eassy target."

"You think they plan to kill him?" Sarah asked horrified.

"Why elssse go through all the trouble of giving him dreamss, other then to kill him?"

"But Jareth is immortal! He can't die!" She cried out. 

"Husssh child. Let the King ssssleep." Meg warned her. She turned to see that the Goblin King had shifted. He was lying on his side and for the moment still sleeping peacefully. 

'But Jareth is immortal." Sarah whispered.

"Yess, he isss. But there are wayss to kill an immortal. Difficult wayss, grotesque wayss. But there isss alsso one way, that not many know about or think about. A lossss of control of magic can be the downfall of an immortal born. The King isss ssuch. If the nightmaress drive The King to the point where he can not tell dream from reality, the one who controlsss the nightmaress can then pussh him further, to the point where he can not control hisss own magic."

'I don't understand." Sarah told her honestly. 

"The firssst 50 yearsss in the life of a magic are sspent teaching him or her control over their own power. Royalss esspecially need to be taught control. They harnessss more magic then commonerss, there fore they require greater control over it. If a magic lossess control over their power, they can do harm to living beingss, to kingdomss and in the end themsselvess, all without remembering they did sssuch. If King Jareth beginsss to losse control over hisss magic, he could hurt you, the baby, or Princesssss Aryanna. Asss hiss control weakenss further, hisss own magic would desstroy him and he would die."

Sarah sank into one of the chairs by Jareth's desk as she swallowed this information. 

"I wisssh that I had put thisss all together sssooner." Meg told her sadly. 

"You sound as if it's impossible to cure him of this." Sarah accused. "We don't even know if the purpose of the dreams is to destroy him."

"It'ss the only logical reasssson. And it iss nearly impossssible to undo the harm done by a Dreamweaver. It'ss even more imposssssible to ssstop them."

"What is a Dreamweaver?" Sarah asked, putting her hands on her hips. 

"They are a ssmall creature, resssembling an elf. They can enter the mind in the form of dreamsss. Good or bad dreams. They usssually live beneath the sssurface and do not bother anyone. If fact they would rather be left alone. But if captured, they can be pussshed to do horrible things. The only way to ssstop them isss to kill them, which would cause irrepairable damage to the one they affected, or to enter the affected ones mind via a link and drive the Dreamweaver and the dreams away."

'Ok, let's hold up just a minute here." Sarah started. "You're telling me that the only way to save Jareth without him turning into a vegetable, is to enter his mind and drive the elf out."

'Correct."

'Ok so how do we do that?"

"It is not that simple lady Ssarah. Not many can perform a mind link and those that can, will not offer to do so easily. And it is a serious risk, to the one who offers to link with the affected. They too could be affected and could ultimately die."

"Yeah but I'm not a magic. I don't have the whole issue like Jareth does, where I have to control my magic. So wouldn't that change things?"

'Wait a minute, Sarah, I know you." Toby jumped in before Meg could answer. "Don't you dare even THINK about being the one to form a mind meld or whatever the hell the thing is caused with Jareth. This isn't like Star trek or something where everyone and everything ends up fine in the end. This is real life. You just heard Meg, you could die from this. And you're pregnant, so you'd kill the baby too."

"Meg, does that fact that I'm mortal and not magic change anything?" Sarah asked, practically ignoring her brother's concern. "Tell me the truth, Meg."

The dragon healer was silent for a moment as she gazed at the mortal Queen who stood before her and then at her brother, who was clearly unhappy with the situation that was suddenly brought to his attention. Meg cleared her throat before answering. "Thisss may be the one insstance where a mortal hasss more power then an immortal."

'Could I die?"

"It is alwaysss a possssibility, magic can be unssstable."

"I'll take the risk. I offer to be the one that helps Jareth through this."

"Oh my god, Sarah, you can't be serious!?"

'Toby, I appreciate your concern, but kindly shove it."

"What?" 

'Shove it, ok! The only man I ever truly loved is dying because of someone who doesn't have a name or a face right now. Someone out there is a coward who is using some elves to torture and kill him. What the hell will I have to live for if he dies?" She quickly turned to the healer. "Meg, who can do the mind link?"

'You have a daughter Sarah, a child on the way and as your dragon friend just kindly pointed out, you have a kingdom too!" Toby told her, trying to make her understand.

"He iss right lady Sssarah. Though the death of the King would be hard on uss all, you are extremely important right now." Meg agreed with Toby.

'I don't give a flying fuck how important I am right now!" she shouted. "The only thing I care about right now is seeing Jareth well again. I can't believe you're willing to give up this easily! Now either you can tell me who can do a mind link or I can ask someone else!" Sarah shouted at Meg. 

Meg backed down and it was the first time that Sarah had seen the dragon become intimidated. The healer did not know who spoke right now, the temper of a mortal who was a mess due to her emotions because of her pregnancy or a woman who wanted to fight for the life of her lover. She realized it was probably a combination of the two. 

'You're not going, Sarah. I forbid it." Came a cool male voice. 

All heads turned toward the Goblin King's bed. Jareth was still lying on his back, head turned toward the small group, blankets draped over his feverish form. 

"Your majesssty…" Meg started. "We did not know that you were awake…"

"I wanted it that way." He replied softly. 

Sarah made her way to his bed, seating herself beside him. She reached to brush damp strands of hair from his eyes. 'How much did you hear?" The fear was thick in her voice. She didn't want Jareth to know that he was going to die.

"Enough…" He said softly. He reached up to stroke Sarah's cheek with one hand. The hand then fell to her round stomach and he pressed his palm against the fabric of her nightgown. He smiled, feeling his child move beneath. He then glanced at Megmora and Toby. "Leave us.." He told them. 

'Your majesssty, that would not be wisse. Your condition…"

'I'm well aware of my condition and what I am capable of doing. I know the legends, the stories as well as you do. I promise she will be able to escape, should something go wrong." To reassure the dragon, he pulled forth a crystal, which he placed in one of Sarah's hands. 

Meg nodded and began to leave, gesturing for Toby to do the same. "Let them be." Meg told the young man when he hesitated. Toby's eyes didn't leave Sarah's form, until he had left the room. 

Sarah peered nervously into the crystal sphere that Jareth had given her. Her face was distorted, twisted in the glass. Exactly how she was feeling on the inside. She knew she had but to squeeze the crystal and she would be transported out of the room. Jareth's palm was still resting on her belly. He had not done that in days. Ever since the dreams had gotten worse. So much had happened in one night. The night before they were to be married. 

She glanced at him, when his palm stopped moving. He looked fragile, nearly broken. He was no doubt trying to use all of his magic to fight the dreams. 

"Promise me, that you won't go. That you won't attempt the mind link." She turned her face away from him, fighting back tears, as she squeezed her eyes closed. She lost the battle and the tears escaped, to trail down her cheeks. This whole situation was like one horrible nightmare. Oh how she wished it was…

She felt his fingers take her chin and he turned her face to him. 

'Look at me, Sarah. Please." His voice was so soft. She opened her eyes slowly, her vision blurred by the tears in her eyes. Her eyes fell over him. He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "There is too much at stake. My kingdom needs a leader, my children need a mother…" he sat up in the bed, watching as she began to break down. He knew exactly what would happen to him, yet it felt like nothing compared to what she would have to deal with, should he die. She would have to run the kingdom without him, she'd have to raise the children without him, and she would have to face whomever it was that wanted him dead. 

'Don't you offer to be the one to help me. It is too risky for anyone, especially you. You can not be selfish, dear Sarah. You're pregnant and should something go wrong, you and the baby would both die. That baby is the heir to my Kingdom, and my Kingdom will need a strong leader after I'm gone."

"Don't talk like that…" Sarah told him, putting a finger to his lips. He moved her hand away slowly and reached for her. She was hesitant at first, but eventually she gave in. She fell against him, burying her face into his neck, as she sobbed. His arms embraced her and he ran his bare hands up and down her back. 

"Sarah, even if the dreams were to stop right here and now, there would be damage. It would be too dangerous for you and the children, for anyone to be around me."

She pulled away from him, looking intently into his eyes. 'I won't let this happen, I won't let them destroy you. After all we have been through, I'm not going to let this happen." 

"You have no choice, and neither do I." He told her sadly. He knew half what to expect. A loss of control, a loss of his sanity, reality, and everything he held dear to him would be ripped from his grasp, from his mind. His own magic would destroy and kill him, slowly and painfully. He would ask Meg to hide him while it happened, so that Sarah and Ary would not be forced to watch him die miserably and painfully.

"We always have a choice."

"Promise me, you won't attempt it. Please Sarah. Please let me fade from this world with the knowledge that you and the children will be safe." She didn't answer and he bent his head to stare directly into her eyes. "Promise me, Sarah." He pleaded. 

A tear streamed down her face. 

'I promise…."


	11. M.I.A...

AN: I hope that everyone had a good weekend. Thanks for all the reviews. I'm going to attempt to finish this story this week. I have another story in mind to work on, but I want to finish this one first. 

Helen: Of course you can have a Meg clone. Having a dragon healer around might be more helpful then fighting, trouble making, J clones. I owe you an e-mail at some point. Just need to get some time so that I can write it. A week and a half left of school! * happy dance *

MIA….

It was an hour before dawn when she realized that he had fallen asleep. She leaned over to kiss his brow slowly and softly, not to awaken him. He looked so peaceful, the first time in days. 

"Forgive me….But I have to do this…" She whispered. She turned from him, tears in her eyes and fled the room. 

* * *

"We can't find her your majesssty…" Meg told Jareth. 

"Perhaps she is in the gardens. Did you check there?" He asked impatiently. The previous night had been a nightmare in and of itself when Meg had realized the reason for the nightmares. He didn't have time for this. He wanted to spend this lull between dreams with Sarah. He didn't know how much time he had left…

He had been in bed all morning, Sarah had begged him to stay in bed and rest after she had promised she would not interfere in things. It was nearly noon now and no one had seen her. He was terribly worried. 

"We checked the gardensss, twice." 

Jareth sat up straighter, his stance one of alarm. His pile of books and documents that he had been reading through, spilled all over the floor. "Her friends? Did you see if she was with Hoggle, or Ludo or Didymus?"

Meg lowered her head. "Ludo and Ssssir Didymusss have not ssseen her. We could not find the dwarf."

"Hoghead's missing too? Perhaps she is with him. I want him sought out, immediately. I want her found. It's a little strange that she would just disappear."

Meg refused to look into her king's eyes. "What if ssshe hass gone off to find the dra-"

"No!" Jareth shouted loudly. "She promised me that she would not get involved. She promised me, Megmora. I know Sarah, she will keep her word." Meg nodded. "I want her found. Send out half of the goblin army if you have to. She might have been kidnapped or perhaps she went out for a walk to think and is hurt somewhere. Find her."

'Yessss, your majesty…"

* * *

Toby was pacing outside the room when Meg entered the hall. The young mortal had been distraught all morning. His companion, Cheryl had been worried about him. He had not touched a thing at breakfast. His sister had not shown for breakfast and that only caused him to worry more. He, like a certain Goblin King, preferred to keep things to himself and he had not told Cheryl a thing about Jareth's condition or Sarah's disappearance. 

"Maybe she doesn't want to marry Jareth." Cheryl had offered. The mortal women, like a few others, did not know of the night's events. Toby had ignored her comment and asked her to keep an eye on Ary. It only caused Cheryl to worry all the more. 

"Let me look for her." Toby asked again. 

"You don't know the territory. It would be dangeroussss."

"Well I'm not doing too much here at the moment, except wearing out the soles of my shoes! I know my sister, Megmora. I know where she has gone."

"We both _think _we know, but we do not for certain. The King could be right. Perhapsss sshe went for a walk to clear her mind, to think thingsss over. Ssshe hasss much to conssider, much torment on it'ss way."

Toby sighed, throwing himself into a chair in the hallway. 'If I could find her, I'd tell her that I would do it. I'll link to Jareth's mind and help him fight this nightmare. My sister has been through enough. She finally found the man of her dreams and she's going to lose him. I won't let that happen. I won't."

"The King hasss assked that no one attempt the mind link with him. He wantsss no oness death on his consciouss."

"yeah, well who cares what he wants at this point." Toby told the healer, getting to his feet. "What he needs is help, and if we can find Sarah, then he'll get some."

The sound of running and clanking armor filled the halls. Toby and Megmora turned to see that a small group of goblins were rushing towards them. The leader stopped. A rather tall goblin, with a long white moustache. He bowed before the healer. 

"Have you found the Queen?" she asked him. 

"No, Healer, we have not. But we have found out that the dwarf, Hoggle was seen with a lady this morning. A lady dressed in a long flowing cape, a green dress with tears and tatters. She was said to have long dark hair. They met at a tavern in Goblin City quite early this morning and left, heading north."

__

'Oh no… "Thank you guard. That will be all." The guard bowed and he and his goblins disappeared down the hall. Meg turned slowly to gaze at the young male mortal. "Our fearss have become reality. Ssshe hass gone to find the oness who will link her to the King."

"I knew it. I knew she would not sit idly by. Let's go find her."

"It isss not that eassy, Ssir Toby. I don't know how ssshe found out, but ssshe isss headed to the north and great danger will be awaiting her once she getss to her final desstination."

"Whoa, what are you talking about?"

"Sstupid, ssstupid mortal woman. Ssshe hasss condemned hersself and the child." Meg spit angrily. Toby said nothing and Meg turned, her face looking sympathetic. "Ssshe hasss gone to find the dragonssss."

* * *

"How much further, Hoggle?" Sarah asked. She felt like they had been walking forever and she was so tired. She gripped a tree and balanced herself against it. 

'I shoulda never let you talks me into this. I shoulda realized you ain't fit to be doing all this travelin. The King's gonna have my head." Hoggle put his hands on his head, his eyes wide.

"If I don't do this…..he'll be dead, Hoggle…" her voice was frail. With a shuddering sigh, she collapsed onto the soft moss of the forest floor, her cloak spreading out around her. The setting sun, cast eerie shadows on the forest floor, as it shone through the leaves of the trees. They had been traveling all day. Having eaten only small rations that Hoggle had bought in the city, she was hungry, and tired. The baby was restless today and that only added to her misery. 

Tears clouded her eyes at the thought that she had broken her promise to her beloved Jareth. He would be furious when he found out what she had done. Sneaking out of the castle before dawn to find Hoggle, pleading with him to lead her to the dragons. A trip to the library had told her that the dragons were the only ones who could use their magic to create a mind link. Hoggle was leery to take her, but it seemed he was another, who could deny her nothing. After some grumbling, he agreed.

She lowered her face into her hands and began to sob. If she didn't pull through with this, Jareth would die. 

'Oh no…please don't cry. I don't like seein ladies cry." Hoggle told her. She didn't stop, didn't acknowledge his plea and only sobbed louder. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Hoggle offering her a beautiful silk handkerchief, no doubt found in his travels. She tried to smile in thanks and used it to dab her eyes and blow her nose, before tucking it into a pocket of her cloak. She had been smart enough to dress down, in peasant clothes. She didn't want anyone to know that she was the Goblin Queen, not with someone out their plotting Jareth's demise. To all they had passed that day, she was only a pregnant peasant in the company of a dwarf, and nothing more. 

"I stills don't thinks this is a good idea, Sarah."

"Hoggle, if I don't do this, I'll lose Jareth. I don't want to raise this baby alone." She told him touching her stomach. 'I don't want to rule his kingdom alone. I can't bear to even think about living the rest of my life without him…."

Hoggle sighed. "This aint's gonna be easy. You do know about dragons don't ya?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. The book I read only said what powers they possess."

"Oooohh me gosh….I just thought of somethin. You're mortal!"

'So what?"

"I shoulda known as much! I'm gonna be leadin you straight into a death trap!" 

'A death trap? Wait a minute, Hoggle. What are you talking about?" 

'Ooh, don't ya know the story of dragons and mortals?" Sarah shook her head. "Dragons **hate** mortals. They used to live in the mortal realm, but they got slain alls the time. They took refuge here in the Underground and never returned to the mortal world. They don't take kindly to mortals entering their realm. Not even many magics bother the dragons. They're wise, but dangerous, temperamental and moody. They prefer to be left alone. Jareth's healer is the exception, then again, she ain't a full blood."

"They hate mortals?" 

Hoggle gulped, feeling like an idiot for not realizing this sooner. He nodded to Sarah, slowly.

"Oh god…what would they do to me?"

"I don't knows. You're different though." He pointed to her stomach. "It's rumored that Jareth was friendly with a few dragons. They might be sympathetic if they knows you were his queen and that yous carrying his child."

"If I could get them to understand that it's Jareth that needs their help, then maybe they will offer it."

"This is still very risky."

Sarah stood, lifting her head to gaze defiantly to the north. "I don't care what the risks are. Jareth's life is on the line here. I won't let him die."

Hoggle shook his head, and grinned as he looked up at her. 

"What?" Sarah asked him. She hardly saw this whole situation amusing.

"It's just strange….you beens heres for a few months, I seen you with the Goblin King, a lot, you're carrying his baby, you're so different, yet…."

"Yet what Hoggle?"

"I stills remember when you first came through the Labyrinth. You were very headstrong, very determined. I seen that hasn't changed, is all." Sarah smiled despite herself. Jareth had been right. The part of her he remembered from her youth, was still within her. It had been buried deep and now it was finally resurfacing. "Well, let's go. Let's hope they is feeling friendly today…" 

Hoggle stepped beside her and took her hand into his, helping her walk through the branches and plants of the forest. In the distance though the branches of the trees, loomed Talon Mountain, home of the dragons….


	12. The face beneath the hood...

AN: Hello everyone. Hope I didn't scare anyone off with the delay in this chapter. Another long one for you all. Please keep the wonderful reviews coming. I'm thinking that there will be a few more chapters left. Can't say for sure how many as these stories have a mind of their own and sometimes new things pop up. Enjoy!

Disclaimers: Please see the first few chapters. 

The face beneath the hood….

His hands and arms could barely support him while he stood shakily in one window. The Labyrinth was spread out before him in all it's glory…and he didn't even notice it.

"Pleassse your majessty…you ssshould be ressting….You had a difficult day." Megmora told him. The healer came to stand behind him. Her worry was written all over her face.

Difficult? Today had been the worst day so far. The dreams came when they wanted. It no longer mattered whether he was asleep or awake. They came when they saw fit, digging through old memories to torment his mind, combining old ones with new ones… he was losing control of himself, his mind. His magic would be next and he would become unpredictable, permanently irritable…dangerous. 

He closed his eyes tightly. Sweat trickled down the sides of his face as he tried to block the horror out of his mind. Even when he was not dreaming he could see things that tormented him. He had learned how to block the dreams for a short while, but they broke down his barricade. Had smashed it to pieces and continued to rampage through his mind. Things had gone from bad to worse in the course of one day. No magic could help him now…Not his nor Meg's. 

He wanted to see Sarah, needed to see her. He was going insane with worry and grief. She had still not been found, even though his guards had been searching almost all day. Was she lying hurt somewhere? Was she dying? He trembled and gripped the stone windowsill. Pleasant thoughts of her was the only thing that kept him in some sort of control.

"Sarah…" he whimpered softly…. She was his pillar of strength. He needed her right now more then he had ever needed her before…and she was no where to be found. 

Meg's taloned hands gently touched his shoulders and she tried to lead him away from the window… 

"Where is she..?" He asked her. "Why has she disappeared? Why did she abandon me now, when I need her the most?"

Meg sighed deeply and refused to look in his eyes. "I'm sssure sshe didn't abandon you.." It was then and there that he realized that Meg knew more then she was telling him. 

He raised his head to look into her golden eyes. "You know where she is." He accused. Meg opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. "Tell me where she has gone, Megmora!"

The dragon healer again refused eye contact. "She essscaped thiss morning….headed north with the dwarf…" she sounded timid. 

Jareth's eyes widened. "North…" he repeated. Meg nodded, lowering her head. Jareth lost his balance and fell to his knees. Meg tried to help him stand and he pushed her away. "She gave me her word…." he said over and over again. "She promised…"

"Ssshe lovess you. Sshe does not fully undersstand her possition, her duty…"

"Don't make excuses for her!" he roared. "She promised me that she would not go and she went anyway!!"

"While it wasss wrong to break her promisse, can you blame her?" She had to make him understand. But would he while he was in this state? " Would you not do everything in your physical or magical power to ssave her if ssshe were in thisss ssituation? If sshe were dying? You know that you would!"

'But the baby! She is not only risking herself, but the child as well! If she dies, there will be 3 casualties! 3! Instead of one!"

"I realize thisss. And if she is successful, her brother hass offered to link with you…But first he wantsss to go after hisss sisster."

Jareth shook his head. "It's far too dangerous. We both know what your kind are capable of." He managed to stand and he lowered himself onto his bed. "I only hope that a few of my old friends are still members of the court. If not…" he buried his face in his hands, losing control over his emotions…

* * *

The bumpy wagon was terribly uncomfortable and apparently the child within her was agreeing. But at this point she shouldn't complain. An elderly couple had taken pity on her when they saw her on the road, forced to walk in her condition. They had agreed to give her and Hoggle a ride to the next town. Hoggle had told her it was best not to tell anyone where their final destination would be. She kept quiet as they moved from town to town. 

It was mid morning when they got to Tirn, a town at the base of Talon Mountain. Hoggle wanted Sarah to rest and used the last of his money to get her a room and a warm meal. She attempted to sleep while Hoggle remained outside the door guarding her. 

Something didn't feel right to the dwarf and it had not felt right since they arrived in Tirn. He felt as if someone was following them, though they had seen no one out on the road. No one bothered to approach them. Everyone just shook their heads when they saw a lone pregnant woman. To them it meant only one thing. Either she had been raped, or her lover had left her. Sarah ignored their harsh stares or their sympathetic ones. After all, how could they know that the child she carried was created through love and that it belonged to the Goblin King?

She rolled over in the bed, staring out the windows. She couldn't sleep. She shouldn't even be in this bed. All she could think about was Jareth and Ary. Was Jareth angry with her for leaving? Did he even know where she went? She had not told a single soul where she was going. How was Jareth fairing? Did the dreams still plague him? So much had happened in the course of a few days. What about her daughter? Did Ary know where her mother had gone to? Did anyone?

Sleep finally beckoned her and she gave in willingly. She would need her rest to travel the path to Talon Mountain. 

* * * 

"I want to see my daddy!" Aryanna cried loudly. She had not seen her mother all morning. Her mother had not gone to breakfast since her belly started growing, so that was not uncommon. But her father usually did. He came to her room every morning to swing her into his arms and take her down to breakfast. She had seen neither one of them all day and she was worried and afraid. Uncle Toby had been with Megmora all day and they both had been hiding themselves somewhere. 

"You'll see your daddy. But not right now." Cheryl told her. She cradled the little girl in her arms. She understood Ary's frustration. Cheryl had not seen Toby since that morning and he had mumbled something to her about bringing Ary to breakfast and to stay with her. He had gone off and she had not seen him since.

'But why not? Why can't I see him? Is something wrong? Why aren't they getting married?"

Cheryl kissed her forehead and gave her a smile. "I don't know sweetie. I don't know what's going on either, but they'll tell us when they are ready." She rocked Ary in her arms. 

Footsteps could be heard approaching the room and the door to Ary's room creaked open. Toby stepped in. 

Cheryl stood, Ary still in her arms. "Toby, what the heck is going on? Where are her parents? Where have you been?"

"It's complicated Cher." She noticed that he looked exhausted and worried. 

"Where are my mommy and daddy? Why aren't they getting married? I'm supposed to be the flower girl today!"

Toby kneeled beside the bed. Ary was still cradled in Cheryl's arms. "There isn't goint to be a wedding today Ary. Your father isn't feeling well."

"He's sick?"

Toby nodded. "Yes, he's sick."

"Poor daddy. What about mommy? Is she gonna make him chicken noodle soup? She makes that for me when I'm sick."

Toby swallowed and thought over his words carefully. "Your mother is helping him." It wasn't a complete lie. Sarah was trying to help Jareth, she just wasn't in the room with him. "And they want you to be a good girl, ok? They know they can't be with you right now."

"What about Meg?"

"Meg is helping too. Your father is very sick. Meg is trying to heal him." That wasn't a lie either. Meg had used her magic all afternoon to help Jareth stay in control. 

"When can I see them?"

"When they are feeling better. Can you stay with Cheryl for now? Maybe you guys can play tea. Meg said that you like to play tea." Ary nodded. 'Good. " He kissed her cheek. 

"Why don't you go set up the tea set, Ary?" Cheryl suggested. Ary nodded and jumped from her lap, rushing into her playroom. 

"What's going on Toby?" Cheryl asked in a hushed whisper. 

"It would take too much time to explain right now. Jareth is really sick and Sarah slipped out of the castle this morning to find the only cure, without telling anyone. She's put herself and the baby in danger and Jareth is freaking out that she left. PLEASE don't breathe a word of this to Ary. Hopefully things will work out and she'll never know any different."

Cheryl looked frightened. The Labyrinth was starting to creep her out. She'd seen goblins and a dragon. There was no modern plumbing…no tv, no radio. She didn't know how Sarah could live in this place. And now something was wrong with Jareth and Sarah had run off to help him. "What if things don't work out?"

Toby pulled her to him. "Then I have to explain to my niece why her parents died." Cheryl pulled back and stared wide eyed at Toby. "It's serious Cher. It's real serious. Please keep an eye on her while we figure things out."

Cheryl nodded feeling numb.

Toby kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you." He told her softly. 

"I love you too."

He gently released her and left the room. 

* * *

"Your majesssty, pleassse!" Meg tried to calm, him, tried to soothe him with her magic but it wasn't working. He was growing worse. He was thrashing in the bed, wide awake, yet totally unaware of what was real. 

"Please don't kill her! Please! It's me that you want! Take my kingdom, just don't kill her!" The Goblin King shouted. 

Toby entered the room just as Jareth lunged forward, almost to tackle an imaginary person. 

"Help me tie him down!" The dragon healer cried out. She created a rope with her magic and she and Toby fought to restrain the King. The rope was soft and made with magic, so it wouldn't hurt Jareth, yet it did it's job of restraining him to the mattress. He fought wildly against them as if they were the ones trying to kill Sarah. 

Toby and Meg stood back watching as he fought blindly with all of his strength. He was lathered in his own sweat. His shirt stuck to him like a second skin. His blond hair looked light brown. Meg put a hand to her mouth, unconsciously biting one talon. 

"He'sss getting worssee."

Toby watched the Goblin King thrashing as if his life depended on it…or if someone else's life depended on it. "What is he dreaming about?"

"He keepss having dreamss about sssomeone trying to kill the Queen."

"Isn't there anything we can do for him? He's going to hurt himself."

"There iss nothing we can do. Thisss isss what happenss when they losse control. Their magic isss what keepsss them together, in balance. He'sss losssing a ssence of who he isss, where he isss. I fear the worssst. The Queen hass not yet returned."

"Don't remind me, ok?" Toby shot at her. He realized that he was irritable. He had not gotten much sleep the night before, his sister was missing and his brother-in-law was tied down to his bed, dying. 

Jareth finally stopped struggling and he was groaning softly. Meg put a talon on the young man's shoulder. "Pleasse fetch me ssome water and a towel. He hass calmed down for the moment. I want to take advantage of that and try to bring hisss temperature down." Meg told the mortal.

Toby nodded and quickly walked toward the bathroom.

* * *

Hoggle was trying to help her as much as he could. But he wasn't very strong. They still had a long way to go before they reached the top of Talon Mountain. It was so hot and the trail up the mountain was dry and dusty. 

Sarah was so thirsty and she was exhausted. Her rest in the tavern seemed to have done nothing for her. Hoggle lost his grip on her and fell to his knees in the dust. Sarah stumbled and landed on her bottom beside him. She looked up. They still had so far to go…

"Forgive me, Sarah. I ain't gonna make it. These little legs of mine weren't meant for climbing mountains."

"I don't think pregnant women were meant to climb mountains either, but I have to do this." The heat was unbearable and growling sounds could be heard from above. No doubt the dragons…

"Are you sures you wanna go up there?" Hoggle was shaking. He could hear the mighty roars of dragons as well as she could. 

"I have to, Hoggle. Jareth is going to die if I don't"

"Ah Jareth….I sincerely hope he does die." Said a deep voice.

__

That voice….I know that voice… Sarah thought. She turned her head slowly to gaze back down the path. 

A man stood with one leg propped up on a rock. He was hidden beneath a cloak and behind him was a group of hairy, menacing beasts. The man slowly pulled back his hood. 

"YOU!" Sarah cried out. Her voice echoed through the valley. 

Staring back at her with a grin on his face was….Gorgin.

He wore a wide brimmed hat and tipped it toward her. "My lady. It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Well, it isn't a pleasure to see you!"

He lifted his head, grinning and it was then that Sarah noticed something about him. Something she remembered from the first time she saw him. A jagged scar that ran across his face. A scar that looked like a bolt of lightning from a summer storm. 

She clawed one hand through the dirt and getting to her feet, she threw a handful of dirt and rocks at him. 

He neatly dodged them and chuckled. "How is dear Jareth? Sleeping well I hope." He laughed.

Sarah's eyes widened. "You bastard! It was you! You were the one sending those dreams to Jareth! How the hell did you escape?" She was breathing in quick shallow breaths. Hoggle grabbed her hand and tried to calm her down. 

"I have my ways…" Gorgin cooed. Four of his lumbering beasts crept from behind rocks and trees. He gestured for one of the beasts to move forward. Sarah realized in broad day light that the beasts reminded her of Ludo only they were much more menacing. One beast stepped forward and presented Gorgin with a small cage. Gorgin picked up the cage and gazed into it with a broad smile. He then swung the cage in front of him so that Sarah and Hoggle could see what was within it. A small elf like creature clung to the bars, eyes closed, a soft green glow radiating from its body.

"I've actually had some fortune since I was captured by Jareth's goons. Idiots forgot that I lived in the ancient tunnels. I may not have magic but I have friends in low places. Friends who could dig me out." He held up the cage, staring into it. "I had the good fortune of finding one of these creatures on my way back out. Ever seen a Dreamweaver before Goblin Queen?" He spit her title with anger. 

'I know what they are capable of." 

"Ah…obviously you do, or you would not have be brave or foolish enough to seek out the dragons."

"How did you find us?"

He grinned devilishly. "Simple. I set up a few of my friends here." He gestured to the beasts that smiled at her with long sharp, yellow teeth. "Around Tirn. Told them to let me know if anyone suspicious showed up. A pregnant woman in Tirn is mighty suspicious. Especially seeing as the magic of Talon Mountain prevents mortals and lesser magics from becoming pregnant. More mortals around, cramp the dragons' style. A pregnant woman and a dwarf fit the description of what I was looking for." He grinned up at her, staring intently on her large belly.

Sarah wrapped her cloak around her protectively. She and Hoggle believed her pregnancy would not give her away. Not many, outside of nobility, knew that the Goblin King's wife was with child. Yet Gorgin somehow knew and it had given her away. 

Gorgin was grinning like a glorified son of a bitch. "I give you a lot of credit. Traveling like a peasant, pregnant and going off gallantly to save your lover. But I'm afraid that I can't let you reach your final destination."

"Oh really? And how do you propose to stop me?" She gathered her skirts and started up the path quickly. Surprising not only Gorgin but Hoggle as well. The dwarf scrambled to his feet to follow her.

Gorgin threw his head back, laughing. "The pregnant queen knows how to move, doesn't she boys?" His beasts began to laugh. 

Sarah ignored them and concentrated on the path in front of her. She was starting to believe that she was going to get away from him when something spun through the air and fell on top of her. She fell to her knees realizing it was a net made of heavy rope. She struggled, but the more she did, the more tangled she became. Gorgin was laughing at her as she struggled and finally she ceased, covered in dust and humiliated. 

She coughed and tried to spit the dirt out of her mouth. She was barely aware of a noise that sounded like the beating of Native American Indian drums. A wind appeared out of no where and she had to bury her face into her arms to avoid dust getting in her eyes and mouth. There was a horrified scream and the sound of chaos and then silence. Deathly silence. She opened her eyes slowly. Everything seemed dark. 

She picked up her head to see Gorgin and his men gazing up in horror or fright at something above. They were frozen in place. What could have made them that frightened? Sarah found her answer when she looked up. He eyes widened in fear. 

Looming over her, was a huge dragon…..


	13. Friend or Foe?

AN: Here is the next chapter. Sorry about the evil cliffhanger last chapter. Bet I got your attention though. Here is some more story to tide you over. This might be it until Monday, I'm afraid. I have my final Friday and all this week and this weekend I am helping my best friend. She's getting married on Sunday and I am in the wedding party. Still lots to do, so I won't have a lot of time to write this story or 'One'. In the meantime, please read and review. I love hearing from my readers. 

Friend or Foe?

Sarah gasped at the sheer size of the beast that loomed over her. A dragon. Meg was a dragon, but not like this. The healer was almost humanoid in appearance. What stood before her was what fairy tales were made of. What knights during medieval times were said to slay. The dragon was at least 50 ft tall with a long slender neck. Giant wings were spread out from its side, making it appear larger. Its wingspan was longer than two tractor trailer trucks put together. Its scales were blue and almost metallic as they glistened in the light of the sun. Smoke seeped from the dragon's nostrils. Its eyes were golden in their coloring, similar to Meg's and intelligence peered back at Sarah as she stared, wide eyed at the creature. There was the sound of low growling and Sarah looked up to see 3 other dragons, all similar in appearance, except for slight color changes, perched on rocky ledges. 

Sarah gulped but forced her fear to the deepest reaches of her mind. She would not be able to save Jareth if she acted like a coward. She attempted to rise, forgetting about the heavy rope that bound her, and she sank back to her knees. 

The dragon lowered its enormous head and shot a breath of hot air at Sarah. The rope disintegrated.

"What have we here?" The dragon spoke. Its deep voice echoed for miles. Sarah assumed that the dragon directly above her was a male by the deep sound of its voice. The dragon crept toward Gorgin and his men who were retreating. They didn't get very far. With a wave of one giant taloned paw, Gorgin and his men were all imprisoned in a cage made of a strange glowing gold metal. The cage floated in mid air and followed the dragon as he crept up the path. He was leaving!

"Wait…please!" Sarah called. The dragon spun, smoke spraying from his nostrils.

"Typical mortal…." He spit. "Ssssaved and sssstill ssshe wantsss more."

"I appreciate that you have saved my friend and myself." She gestured toward Hoggle who was hiding behind a tree, shaking like a leaf. "But that is not why I have come…I need your help."

"Find help elsssewhere….Your life hasss been ssspared for now…Ssshould you crossssss our path again, we may not be ssso generousss." The dragon turned and this time opened its giant leathery wings. 

"Please!" Sarah shouted loudly. "You are the only ones that can help my husband! He's been brutally attacked by the man you hold captive in your cage. That man is torturing my husband with his own thoughts and dreams. The only way that I can save him is if I can be linked to his mind. Only the dragons can link me to his mind."

"We do not help mortalsss. Find your help elsssswhere." The dragon beat it's giant wings and he and his companions were gone….taking Gorgin and his beasts along with them.

"Please…" Sarah sobbed. With tears streaming down her face, she fell to her knees. She buried her face into her hands and began to cry. 

"There…there." Hoggle told her, gently touching her shoulders. "It could have gone much worse."

"They aren't going to help me…Hoggle…Jareth is going to die….It doesn't get much worse then that." She sobbed miserably. 

"It could have gone worse. They could have eaten you, or killed you."

"Oh that makes me feel so much better knowing that." She shot at the dwarf. 

Hoggle frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anythings by it. Was just trying to tell ya that it could have been worse is all."

"I'm going to lose Jareth…." She whispered softly to herself. As the thought sank into her mind she began to sob all over again.

"They said no and you're going to give up just like that? This can't be the same Sarah that defeated the Labyrinth."

"They don't want to help me, Hoggle. You just told me that they could have eaten me or killed me. Who knows what will happen if I go further up that mountain."

"You won't know unless you try. It's up to you. We can give up here and now. I can take you back to the castle and you can say your goodbyes to the King. Or we can continue on and see what happens."

"You aren't afraid to go up there?" Sarah asked Hoggle, wiping the tears from her face. 

"Of course I'ms afraid." Hoggle put his hand on Sarah's shoulder once again. "I'm stills a coward, but I've learned that it's more important to look past that and help a friend. And yous are my friend, ain't ya?"

Sarah smiled. "Of course I am, Hoggle."

"Than, what's we waiting for?" Balling up one fist he thrust it toward the peak of the mountain. "Let's go find them dragons and get 'em to help us!"

Sarah smiled and stood, gathering her skirts around her. Hoggle started up the path ahead of her. Sarah gazed down at her round stomach and ran a hand over it. She could feel the child within…Jareth's child…A child she didn't want to grow up without a father. A look of determination appeared on her face and she followed Hoggle up the dusty path that led to the peak of Talon Mountain. 

* * *

He could feel warmth. Far too much warmth… He realized that he was burning up. Something cold landed on his forehead and slide down his face, his neck and across his chest. Slowly he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry and he was barely aware of where he was. A familiar face loomed above him….a dragon. Her name was on the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn't seem to find it…Sarah…. No. Sarah was not a dragon. She was a girl, a woman. One who haunted his dreams, and his thoughts. One who drove him to the brink of insanity when he saw her being killed before his eyes repeatedly. 

"You're awake…" The voice broke him out of his hazy thoughts. It was the dragon who spoke to him. "How are you feeling?" She asked. 

He licked his lips and swallowed, his mouth dry. Why couldn't he remember the dragon's name? He recognized her, yet he didn't understand how. All he knew was Sarah… "Sar…ah.." He spoke softly. He didn't recognize his own voice.

The dragon looked worried. "Sshe hass not returned yet, your highnesssss."

Your highness? So he was a King. "Why not?" He asked softly. His mind was headed in one direction…the woman Sarah. He needed to know more about her. Who she was exactly and why did she felt so important to him?

"I do not know…." The dragon told him sadly. 

"Where did she go? Why is she not here?" Something within him, told him that the woman should be by his side. Yet she wasn't and that caused alarm and fear within him.

The dragon looked even more concerned now. "Do you not remember?" When he didn't answer she questioned him further. "Do you know who I am?"

He squinted and then closed his eyes, trying to remember. 

"Meg, these were the only other towels I could find and – Hey he's awake." The voice sounded familiar. He looked up to see a young man with a few towels in his arms. He looked familiar, yet again his mind drew a blank as to why. 

"Who isss thiss?" The dragon named Meg asked him. Knowing her name did little to jog his memory. She was gesturing to the young man who had just come beside the bed. 

"I….I…don't know." He whispered shamefully. He turned his face away from them.

"What's going on?" The young man asked the dragon. 

"He iss losing hiss memory. Forgetting who we are." He gazed at them again.

The man looked down at him, his blue eyes intense. "You don't know who I am?"

He shook his head. 

"I'm Toby, Sarah's brother. The guy who threatened you when you were staying at her house. I wanted to make sure you really cared about her." He shook his head. He remembered nothing. "Do you know who you are?" Toby asked him.

He closed his eyes. A name filled his mind. "Jareth…" he said slowly.

"Well at least he knows who he is. Do you know who Sarah is?" Toby questioned him.

"Not exactly, although I know, somehow, that she is very important to me." This was so frustrating for him. He knew these people yet he didn't.

"She's your wife, by underground law and she's pregnant with your child." The young man appeared angry that he could not remember.

Jareth frowned and then suddenly an image popped into his head. He could see his own hand, moving forward to touch the round belly of the woman with beautiful hazel eyes and long dark hair. As his hand came into contact with her stomach, he felt the movement of a child beneath the palm of his hands. His child…. 

A smile tugged at his lips. "Yes…I remember…I remember feeling the baby move." he sighed as the image faded. Similar memories entered his mind. Kissing the woman, the feel of her lips against his own…soft and gentle. He closed his eyes. The feel of a cold wet cloth against his skin, shattered the images in his mind and he opened his eyes again. 

"Your fever isss ssslowly lowering. It isss ssstill far too high, for my liking." The dragon told him.

"Why am I sick?" He asked. 

"It'ssss a long ssstory. Relax. Thiss will feel cold." She moved toward him slowly with a dripping cloth. She spread it over his chest and he flinched at how cold it was. "Not even my powersss ssseem to work." She muttered more to herself then him. "I've had to retort to the old waysss." 

"Magic…I sense magic…it's fading and I feel anxious... but I don't know what about."

The dragon frowned. "You're sssenssing your own magic. You're losing control over it. Thiss isssn't good." The dragon gazed out a nearby window. The sun was not directly overhead anymore. In less then 4 hours, it would be seated over the horizon. "I hope the queen returnsss in time…" She said softly as she adjusted the cloth to cover his entire upper chest. 

"The Queen is…Sarah?" He asked her. 

"Yesss, the Queen isss Sssarah."

He nodded and closed his eyes, feeling a strange satisfaction at the additional knowledge. The woman named Sarah was Queen, his queen, his wife and she would return…


	14. The foolishness of youth...

AN: Hi everyone. Bet you thought that I abandoned this story. Well I didn't! Real life has been making it impossible for me to write lately. Summer is coming as well, which means that I don't spend nearly as much time on the computer as I do the other seasons. I will finish this though! I know this chapter isn't terribly long, but it's better then nothing, right? Thank you again to everyone who has been reviewing. Please keep those reviews coming!

The foolishness of youth…

"I need to sit down and take a rest before I fall down." Sarah told Hoggle. She was more then exhausted by this time and she was frightened as well. What if she had traveled all this way, had put her life and her baby's life in danger and the dragons would not help her? Would her plea fall on deaf ears? She sat herself on a rock. The dusty path they had been traveling on had taken a turn to treacherous. Jagged rocks reached for the heavens. The path was narrow and slippery. One wrong step could lead to death. 

As Sarah and Hoggle sat they could hear that the distant growling was no longer so distant. They had traveled over halfway up the mountain. She still had no idea of what to expect when they reached the summit. Hoggle did know either. All he knew were stories of Talon Mountain. Not many dared to disturb the ancient dragon race. 

They rested a short while before Sarah stood. She was not ready to travel onward, but she knew that they must. The sun was sinking lower in the sky. She didn't want to be climbing this mountain in the dark. The baby protested violently to her idea of continuing on, and she immediately sat back down. 

"Are yous all right?" Hoggle was at her side in an instant, his hand on her shoulder. 

"The baby is restless."

Hoggle looked concerned. He glanced down at Sarah's swollen belly. "You shouldn't be traveling in this condition. Maybes I should take you back down…."

"No!" She stood, ignoring the protesting child in her womb. She'd drag herself, half dead up the mountain before she gave up on Jareth. "We can't stop now, Hoggle. We've come so far." She started back up the path, feeling slightly more confident then before. They would make it.

Hoggle nodded. His legs felt like jello as he stood and followed Sarah. He was exhausted and frightened beyond belief, but he would protect Sarah and the baby. He was no match for an angry dragon, that he knew. But he would give his life to protect her and her baby. He chuckled to himself as he realized that he was helping the Goblin King. Helping the King he swore over 20 years ago he would never lift a finger to help. Yet now things had changed. The King had changed…Hoggle had changed. He was no longer a sniveling coward. Smiling to himself, he followed Sarah up the narrow path. 

* * *

Meg sat on a stool in the far corner of the King's bed chambers. He had hardly uttered a word after she had told him that the Queen might be returning soon. This worried the dragon healer. The King kept staring at the door, awaiting for his Sarah to arrive. 

The dreams seemed to have stopped. Meg didn't know if this was good or bad. She decided it was probably a little of both. This lapse in dreams was buying the King time. But what good did that time do, if he could hardly remember anything? And where was Lady Sarah? Meg had never lived with her own kind, but she retained their memories, their knowledge. Such knowledge is passed in blood from parents to offspring. Although she grew up along side the Goblin King, she knew enough about her kind, to know that the Queen could be in grave danger. Glancing back at the King, she swallowed. He would not last, if Sarah died. 

"Why are these burns on my wrists, Meg?" 

The sound of the King's voice broke her out of her thoughts. He was inspecting the ugly, red burn on one wrist. Burns from the magical ropes that had bound him to his bed only hours before. He then turned to her, his expression full of questions. 

"They are rope burnsss."

"But why do I have them? Was I a prisoner recently?" His eyes met hers. 

Meg nodded slowly. She didn't know what to tell him. Should she tell him that he was losing his mind, that he was in the early to middle stages of losing his sanity? Should she tell him that if Sarah didn't return, he would surely die a slow, agonizing death? She shook her head, answering her own questions and the Goblin King stared at her curiously. 

"The marksss will fade in time, your majesssty." She turned her eyes away from him.

"You're keeping something from me." He told her softly. "You're evading my questions."

Meg glanced at him and then turned away quickly. He had lost some memories, he had not lost his common sense. "I evade the quesstionsss to protect you."

"Protect me from what?"

"Yourssself…" She whispered softly. He looked so utterly confused. The man that stared back at her was not the King she grew up with or the insolent King that ruled the Labyrinth. She turned on her stool, unable to look at him any longer. Instead she gazed out the window. _Pleassse return to usss, Lady Sssarah….and ssssoon._

* * *

Sarah was crawling on her hands and knees. Her legs could no longer support her in a standing position. She had never been this tired that her own body had begun to give out on her. Hoggle wasn't fairing much better and he didn't have to carry around a baby with him. 

"We're never going to reach the top…" She sobbed. They have been climbing for hours and the sun had nestled itself just above the horizon. Night would be here soon. "And who says that there will even be anything important at the top…what if I came all of this way for nothing?" She collapsed, her body finally giving out on her completely. There was no way she could travel anymore.

She buried her face in her dirty hands and let the tears fall freely. Hoggle sank beside her. He hated to see women cry and to see Sarah cry, someone who was usually brave and strong, was hard for him to swallow. Things looked so terribly bleak at this moment. Hoggle knew that if Jareth died, Sarah would die as well. Perhaps not physically, but emotionally. She might give up on everything if she lost him. Hoggle still didn't trust the Goblin King, but maybe it was time that he did. Sarah trusted him enough to fall in love with him. Maybe he had been too harsh with his judgement of the insolent King. Now was a hell of a time to change his mind…

A terrible wind overtook them, sending dust, dirt and loose rocks in all directions. 

"You are a persssisstant one, aren't you?" the voice echoed. 

Sarah and Hoggle both looked up to see a dragon. The same dragon that had warned Sarah to leave. Of all the dragons they could have run into, why the same one?

Sarah tried to stand, and only when Hoggle let her use him as a crutch did she get shakily to her feet. "I told you, someone I love, needs your help."

The dragon ignored her and looked at another perched not far from him. "Sshe will be a tender morssel, don't you agree?" The other dragon chuckled. 

Sarah gasped. "You can't possibly intend to eat me!"

The dragon lowered his head, and grinned, showing all of his sharp teeth. It was grinning at her, mocking her. "I will not eat you….we don't eat people. Though we ssshould asss our ancesstorsss did. The council will decide your fate, until then, you will be imprissoned."

"The council? When will I see them? This is urgent."

The dragon scratched his scaly chin. "The court isss alwaysss bussy. Perhapss in a few yearsss they will sssee you."

"A few years! I can't wait that long! I need help now! Please!"

The dragon only laughed as he used his magic to entrap both Hoggle and Sarah in a cage just like the one he had used to trap Gorgin. 

'Please! Please, don't do this!" Sarah sobbed. The dragon was ignoring her. 

"Sssshame on you both!!!" Came a loud feminine sounding voice.

Sarah gazed through her tear stained eyes to see a third dragon. 

"Sssshame on usss? For doing what we ssshould be doing on patrol, Elmora? We caught thessse tressspasssers."

The third dragon leapt from her perch to land beside the male and his companion. She was larger then they were and she had many scars. A large medallion hung from her neck. Her scales were a beautiful shade of blues, greens, pinks and yellows. Although her scales did not shine as brilliantly as the other dragons and Sarah wondered if it was because she was older. 

"Ssshame on you for relying on only your eyesss and not your magic. Do you not sssensse who thisss iss?" She gestured with a large talon at Sarah and Hoggle's cage.

"Ssshe is a foolisssh mortal who doesssn't lissten very well. Unimportant if you asssk me." The male shot back. He folded his arms over his enormous chest.

"You foolsss." The female hissed. "Ssshe may be mortal, but ssshe isss a very important mortal."

'No mortal isss important…were I a member of the court, every lassst one of them who ventured onto our mountain would be dead!" The male spit the words with venom in his tone. 

"That isss exactly why you are not a member of the court." The male dragon looked angrily at the larger female. 

"You are wasssting my time, old timer…"

"I'm trying to sssave you from humilation when you arrive at the gatesss."

"Humiliation?" the male chuckled throatily.

The female grinned. "Yesss humilation, for thisss mortal that you claim isss unimportant, carriess the Goblin King'ssss child."


	15. The beginning of the end...

AN: Ooh lookie here. Another chapter! I haven't had much time to write, but I managed to type this out today. Enjoy!

The beginning of the end….

The male dragon looked in disbelief at the older female. "Imposssible." He hissed. 

The female tilted her head. "I do not lie."

The male's companion glanced at Sarah. "It'sss true. I can sssensse the Goblin Kingss aura all around her. Hisss child growss within her. How isss thiss posssible?"

Sarah pulled her cloak around her large stomach, suddenly feeling self conscious with 3 dragons staring at her intently.

"Certainly you both have heard the rumorssss." The female looked quite pleased with herself.

"Of courssse we have. But we believed them to be just that. Rumorsss." The male spit.

The female dragon smiled and lowered her head to gaze into Sarah's face. "It pleassess me to ssee that Jareth hasss chosssen sssuch a determined mate."

Sarah tried to smile. "Th-thank you."

"We must bring you to the gatesss, to ssshow the othersss."

Sarah shook her head from side to side. "Please, I don't have time for this. Jareth is very ill. Only you can help save him." She looked very distressed. 

The female picked up her head quickly. "You are afraid…" she said. "I can sssensse fear…it gripss your sssoul tightly."

"Yes, very afraid that I'm going to lose him." Sarah stepped closer to the female. "Please. He has been attacked by Dreamweavers and if someone does not link with his mind, he will die!" The female looked troubled with this information.

"But Dreamweavers do not attack on their own. They are a peaceful race." The male's companion replied.

"One of Jareth's enemies used a Dreamweaver to give him horrible dreams. He was the man that you saved me from earlier." Sarah told the male. 

"Gorgin? Gorgin hasss dared to attack the Goblin King?"

"Yes!" 

"I will provide the link." The female said, standing taller.

"Elmora, that isss not wissse without gaining the approval of the council." The male told her.

'The council will underssstand when they have learned whom I have gone to help. Keep Gorgin prissoner and guard him with your life. He will be dealt with later for hisss crimesss. I will bring Jareth'sss mate and her companion back to the Labyrinth." The two males nodded and opened their giant wings, soaring to the top of the mountain. "Foolisssh young dragonsss, had they ussed their magic they would have known who you were much earlier. Did you not think to tell them that you were Jareth'sss mate?" 

The female helped settle Sarah between two spiny ridges on her neck. She was careful with the young mortal, which carried the Goblin King's heir within her. Hoggle was hesitant as the dragon offered a giant claw to lift him to sit behind Sarah. 

"C'mon Hoggle, we don't have time to waste." Sarah told him. Hoggle nodded, swallowing his fears and allowed the dragon to settle him behind Sarah.

"Did you not think to tell Grell and Oran whom you were?" the female asked again.

"I…didn't really have a chance and besides, how was I to know that you all knew who Jareth was?"

The female chuckled lightly. "Every dragon knowsss who the Goblin King isss. Were it not for him, our race may have perissshed. He sssaved usss from a time of darknessss… Hold on to me tightly. The windss can be sstrong from above." Sarah nodded as did Hoggle who gripped the ridges that held him in place tightly. "I've yet to learn of Jareth'sss matess name."

"Sarah."

"I am Elmora. May I asssk you a quick question before we leave?" Sarah nodded. "Tell me, isss there a dragon, or half dragon that sstill livesss with the Goblin King?"

"Yes, of course. Meg lives with us at the castle."

Elmora frowned. 'Meg?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, Megmora. She is half dragon. She's Jareth's healer."

"Ssshe iss a healer? How wonderful!" Elmora cried out.

"Why?" Sarah asked her. 

"No time…We ssshall sspeak of thiss later." Elmora smiled. The smile faded quickly. "But asss we journey to Jareth'ss kingdom, you must tell me of hiss condition." Elmora spread her powerful wings and in seconds the trio was airborne. 

* * *

"You told me that she was returning. Yet still she is not here. Where is she?" Jareth's angry voice echoed through his chamber.

"I have told you, your majesssty. Ssshe did not give an exact time that sshe would return." Meg was tired of not telling him the entire truth.

"Why don't I believe you!" He spit. 

"You may believe what you wisssh!" Meg spit back at him. In a matter of 20 minutes the Goblin King had become impatient and angry. 

"You've been lying to me all along, haven't you? She isn't returning. She's dead, isn't she!" He shouted. When Meg did not answer he pulled forth a crystal which he hurled at her. He immediately keeled over, gripping himself as he curled into a ball on his bed. Meg dodged the crystal sphere with little effort and then tried to attend to the king. "Leave me alone!" he shouted at her. Meg panicked. His magic was betraying him. It had started to attack his own body. As she reached for him, he threw another crystal and then bent over. He cried out as pain seered through his body. 

"What…what is happening to me?" He raised his head to stare into Meg's golden eyes. The dragon was crying. Tears were streaming from her eyes, sliding down the scales of her face. 

"I'm ssso sssorry, your majesssty. If my magic wasss sstronger…I could have protected you."

Jareth lowered his head and gripped his side as pain once again surged like lightning through body. The pain came in tremors, strong at first and then subsiding. He glanced up at the dragon who was crying softly. 

Meg collapsed to her knees as she watched as the end began. The dragon was a healer…she had never killed. But if the pain grew too great for him….she shook her head. No…she would not kill him. She would take him deep into the Labyrinth and hide him from others. She would care for him until he did finally perish, even if it meant that she would lose her own sanity while she watched him die. 

She glanced out the window. It was well past dark now. The Queen would have reached Talon Mountain hours ago. Still she had not returned. Meg squeezed her eyes shut and whispered in her native tongue, a prayer for the Queen. She was either dead or a prisoner. Perhaps she had never made it to Talon Mountain. The one in charge of the dreams may have captured her, or killed her. Anything could have happened to her. Even if she returned, the King was not well. She could not let the queen or young Ary see the King's deteriorating condition. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she made a decision. 

The King would be too weak to resist her. She would transport them both out of the castle. She would be the only one to witness as his own magic betrayed him…and slowly killed him. 

The tremors of pain had rendered the King nearly unconscious. She scooped him up into her arms and he did not protest. He only lifted his head. His eyes were glassy and Meg realized that he was hiding within himself. He was trying to protect himself from the pain, from the dreams.

"Sarah…." He whispered. A tear ran down the dragon's cheek as the King's head fell back and he became unconscious. Moments later, they both disappeared from the room.


	16. A Decision is made...

AN: Please no one kill me for this….please? I promise I'll stop being so nasty soon. As always, please R & R

A decision is made…

The long miles they had walked and ridden passed by in a blur as Elmora soared high above the countryside. Sarah held on tightly to the dragon's neck ridges to keep herself from slipping and falling to her death. How pleased would Meg be to see that she had returned, and with a dragon! But that comforting thought was soon squished as another thought crossed her mind. She was afraid that while she had been away Jareth had grown worse. What if he had died? She shivered and held on even tighter to Elmora.

__

'Don't think that….Jareth iss ss strong…he will hold on until we get there…' 

Sarah jumped as the voice entered her mind. Elmora turned her head and gave a toothy grin to Sarah. 

__

'Can you hear my thoughts?' Sarah asked in her mind.

__

'Only when you project them sso loudly. I sssenssse and undersstand your fear. We are almosst to the casstle and then the mind link will begin. May I assk who hass been chossen? The one linked to Jareth sshould be closse to him.'

'I'm going to do it.'

'That would not be wissse.'

"And why not?" Sarah shouted into the wind. Hoggle looked at her curiously. Sarah realized her mistake. _'And why not?'_

__

'It iss not ssafe for anyone, esspecially you.'

'Well, I'm doing it. I was told it was safer for a mortal to do this than a magic. Jareth is my husband by Underground law and I will be the one who will enter his mind. I won't have someone else invading his private thoughts and feelings.'

A soft, warm laugh filled Sarah's mind. _'I can definitely ssee why Jareth married you…' _

"We ssshould be at the casstle in a few momentss!" Elmora called out a loud. Hoggle nodded and Sarah laughed at his grateful expression. If she didn't know any better, the dwarf was turning green. She guessed that dwarves weren't meant to fly!

It was several minutes later that Elmora landed in the courtyard behind Jareth's castle. 

"Ssomething iss wrong…" Elmora said immediately. She craned her neck and closed her eyes. "I do not ssensse Jareth'ss pressence here." Sarah froze. "Take me to where he lasst was sseen, at once." She commanded. Sarah nodded and rushed into the castle as quickly as a pregnant woman could. Elmora felt Sarah's fear as she led the dragon and Hoggle through the castle.. 

It felt as if the journey to Jareth's chambers took much longer then it should have. The door to Toby's room opened and he stepped out to watch as the trio rushed by. 

"Sarah! You're back!" he called out. 

"No time to talk, Toby!" She called over her shoulder. Toby closed the door to his room behind him. It was quite late by now and Cheryl and Aryanna were curled up on the bed sleeping. He started to jog after his sister. 

Sarah threw the door open to Jareth's room and stopped dead in her tracks. The sheets were pulled back and the bed…was empty. "He…he..he isn't here!" She began to tremble. 

"What'd ya mean, he ain't heres?" Hoggle asked.

"He issn't here." Elmora said calmly. The bed was indeed empty as was the room, save for the 3 who had just entered.

Toby entered the room and he was surprised to see it empty of both Jareth and Meg. "Hey where did they go?"

Sarah spun to face her brother and gripped his shoulders tightly. "When was the last time you saw them in the room? Was Jareth well enough to walk?"

Toby shook his head. "No, I don't think so. He had some terrible dreams and Meg and I had to tie him to the bed. He came to after passing out, and he was so weak that Meg undid the ties. He couldn't remember anyone but you. Meg told me to get some rest and that she would take care of him while I slept. I left the room about an hour ago. Where the hell have you been Sarah?"

"Finding the cure for Jareth and now he's missing!" Sarah began to sob and Toby pulled her into his arms. 

"Sssh. We'll find them. They couldn't have gone far. Maybe Meg took him out to get some fresh air."

"I ssensse a usse of magic." Elmora noted. 

"What do you mean?" Toby asked.

"The Goblin King did not walk out of here on hiss own power. He wass transsported out to sssomewhere in the Labyrinth. I will need time to concentrate my powerss to locate him directly."

"Great! Time is what we don't have!" Sarah cried out. "Why would Meg take him out of his room?"

"He was in pretty bad shape earlier tonight, Sarah."

"What are you saying Toby?" Tears streamed down her cheeks. 

Toby bit his lip. "I…I don't know. Let your dragon friend find him with her magic. Maybe then we can figure out what is going on. We shouldn't jump to any conclusions before then."

Sarah suddenly collapsed into a chair. "What if she took him somewhere to die? She said he would get bad…Oh god…." She buried her face in her hands and began to sob. 

Toby and Hoggle looked at each other. 

"Sshe iss trying to protect him with her magic…It'ss making thiss more difficult for me." Elmora said softly. "Ssarah, perhapss thiss would be eassier if we flew over the Labyrinth. I might be able to pin point their location much quicker then from here. Fly with me."

Sarah hastily wiped her tears with the sleeve of her dress and nodded. 

Toby jumped in between Sarah and the dragon. "No, no way Sarah. You are not flying in your condition." Toby told her. 

"Toby, I'll be fine. How do you think I got here?" Sarah turned to Elmora and moving around her brother, began to follow the dragon. Toby was persistent and he grabbed a hold of his sister's hand. "Toby, let me go!"

'No! Sarah, you're pregnant! If Jareth needs a mind to link with then I'll do it."

Sarah shook her head. "Out of the question."

Toby opened his mouth and shut it quickly when Elmora lowered her giant head to stare at him. "I do not like the idea of Ssarah being the one to link with him either, but if Jareth iss already deteriorating, it would be wisse that ssomeone who knew him quite well, linked with him. You sssaid that he could not remember anyone?"

Toby sighed. "Yeah… He woke up all feverish and the only person he could remember was Sarah."

"Than sshe iss the one to link to him. There iss no room for argumentss. Jareth might not recognize anyone elssse and may try to fight them, thinking they are an enemy. If you want to ssave hiss life, there will be riskss and it iss Ssarah'ss decision if sshe wantsss to take them."

Toby took Sarah's hands into his own. "Sarah, have you really thought about this? I mean really. This isn't just your own life on the line, but your baby's."

"I know that Toby. But I'm willing to take the risk. I won't have another child grow up without a father."

"But you'll risk that child's life? As well as your daughter growing up with the loss of her mother and father should things go wrong?" Sarah lowered her head. "Sarah, I know you love Jareth. You waited all of these years to find him and I know that if you lose him you're going to be upset, but you have your children to think about. Jareth knows that. He accepted his fate, Sarah. He didn't want you to go find the dragons. He wanted you to live and raise his children."

"Ssarah, if you are going to change your mind, I need to know your decision. It iss more then likely the more time we waste, the lessss time we will have to correct all of thiss."

Sarah looked at Toby who still held her hands and then to Hoggle, who's face mirrored her brother's concern. She looked hard at both of them and then pulling her hands from her brothers, walked toward Elmora. 

"Let's go."

The dragon nodded and carefully positioned Sarah between two of her neck ridges. Sarah gave one last look at her brother and Hoggle as she and Elmora faded from the room. 

Toby went to the nearest table and threw it and its contents clear across the room.

__


	17. Mind Link...

AN: Ok don't pass out or anything, but I finally updated this story. About time, eh? And you thought that I wasn't going to finish this story. Shame on you! Have some faith in me. Yes it has been hard to get back into this story. 'One' carried me away. I've decided that this will be the last sequel that I will write to a story. I've found that I tend to lose interest in my sequels. From now on I'll be writing long stories that will have some resolution and conclusion at the end. Ok I'm babbling. Just go read the chapter and review it! This isn't the last chapter. However it is the second to last. 

Mind Link…

The wind whipped Sarah's hair back from her face. She felt a growing panic take a hold of her soul. 

__

'We will find them, child." Came Elmora's soothing voice. 

__

'But what if we don't find them in time?' Sarah sent back in return. The growing worry made her feel nausea along with the quick, erratic movements that Elmora made as the wind tried to carry her in different directions. 

__

'I sssensse them!' Elmora suddenly took a dive and Sarah had to hold on with all of her might to keep from falling off the old dragon. 

They dove towards the ground and to what appeared to be a broken down cottage in one section of the Labyrinth. Elmora landed quickly and helped Sarah down. 

A shadow appeared at the entrance to the cottage and Megmora slowly stepped into the light. Tears were running down her scaled cheeks and Sarah felt fear of the unknown grip her tightly. Her breathing ceased as she held her breath. 

"I'm sso ssssorry." Megmora sobbed. "There wassss nothing more that I could do."

Sarah shook her head. "No…no he can't be…" She collapsed to her knees on the ground and began to sob. The baby was protesting within her from all of the recent activity and she purposely ignored it. Jareth…no…he couldn't be dead.. She sobbed loudly and cursed the child that grew within her. She wanted to hate this child for making her journey so difficult. Were she not pregnant she might have reached the dragons faster, Gorgin might not have known who she was and wouldn't have stalled her. But try as she might, she could not hate the baby. This baby was a gift from Jareth, a piece of him. She would cherish that gift always. 

Her sobs were wrenching and ugly as she buried her face into her arms. Megmora rushed to her, afraid that she would hurt herself or that something might happen to the baby. 

"I'm ssso sssorry. He folded sssso quickly. But there wasss no further pain. He went peacefully." She told Sarah. 

Sarah gripped the dragon tightly, so Jareth was dead…which meant that she was dead as well. She would raise her children, but she would not live while she did so, not truly. 

"Your emotion cloudsss your magic, young healer." Came Elmora's booming voice. 

Meg raised her head. She was so caught up with the Goblin King's death and the Queen's arrival that she had barely noticed the dragon that had brought Sarah to the cottage. It had been so long since she had seen a member of her own race. "What do you mean? The Goblin King issss …dead." She choked over the word. "My magic sssenssed hiss passsssing."

"He appearsss dead, my young one, but in fact he livessss. The Goblin King issss much ssstronger than any of usss would think. He livesss, though barely." Sarah's eyes widened. "Yess, Sssarah. He livesss."

"That'sss impossssible." Meg nearly cried out. She had sensed Jareth's passing from the world quite clearly. 

"He hasss found the ssstrength to hide within himssself once more. Hisss lassst effort to fight what tormentss him. He waitsss in the darknesss of hisss mind." Elmora's large golden eyes fell upon Sarah. "He waitsss for you."

Sarah let out a shuddering breath, just now aware of how long she had been holding her breath. She stood immediately. "Link me to him, before we lose him."

"My Queen, that isss not wisse." Megmora told her.

"I never claimed that it was wise. But if I let him die, that will not be wise. I know for a fact that I do not possess the strength to raise my children and run the Goblin Kingdom. I will be a far too easy target. Jareth isn't needed only by me. He's needed by his Kingdom. If the death of myself and my child allows him to live then I have done all that I can."

Megmora smiled. "You have much more ssstrength than you realize, my Queen."

"Go to him quickly, Sssarah. I will ssstand along sside the window to provide the link." Elmora told her.

"What must I do to link to him?" Sarah asked. She felt a small amount of hope rush through her. She had been given a last chance to save Jareth. She needed to be certain that she knew her place. 

"Sssit bessside him. Take hisss hand into your own and clear your mind of everything but the Goblin King. I will do the ressst."

Sarah nodded and rushed quickly into the cottage. She gasped as she saw Jareth, lying deathly still on an old tattered bed. She swallowed as she realized that he did look dead. He didn't appear to be breathing. She forced herself to look past that. Elmora said that he was alive. She sat beside him and took one of his bare hands into her own. She was surprised to feel the warmth from his skin. Remembering Elmora's words she closed her eyes and cleared her mind of everything but Jareth. 

Memories of their reunion, his declaration of his love for her, their first physical union, his hands as he touched her swollen belly and his eyes that showed he thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She smiled at these memories and slowly she began to feel a tingling sensation. The physical world around her seemed to fade away. 

__

'You musst remember that nothing iss real in thisss place besidess yoursself and Jareth…nothing can hurt you here unlessss you allow it…you must make Jareth believe that you are real…'

Sarah nodded and slowly she opened her eyes. Everything was dark and cold. Empty and lifeless. Colorless and drab. The only color was the blood stains along the cold stone gray walls. There was silence, deathly silence and it frightened her. 

"Jareth?" her voice echoed and she was given no response. She trembled. She was afraid of this place where ever this place was. She heard the sound of laughter, a child's laughter and she followed the sound. She turned a corner to find a meadow. A young boy with golden hair and a baby dragon were playing hide and seek behind large, old trees. Sarah's brows furrowed in confusion and then she realized what she was seeing. 

The young boy was Jareth and the dragon was Megmora. She was seeing one of Jareth's memories. Just as quickly as the laughter and the scene had presented itself, it vanished, leaving the empty cold stone corridor. She continued on her way hoping to find something, anything that would lead her to Jareth. The hallways suddenly began to tremble and she heard the distant fading sound of a laugh. It was not a pleasant sound. The halls shook harder and Sarah had to lean against the wall for support so that she wouldn't fall. 

The laughter grew louder and then she could make out words. She hurried along the stone walls in the direction of the sounds. She entered a frightening room. Chains with shackles, bright red, blood stained walls and a body. She cried out in alarm as she drew closer to the body. Staring back at her through dead eyes, was… herself.

She cried out and jumped back. "It's not real, it's not real." She told herself, remembering Elmora's words. She opened her eyes and the room was empty. The blood stains on the wall were gone and sitting with his head in his hands in a shallow shaft of light ….was Jareth. 

"Jareth?!" Sarah rushed toward him. He didn't acknowledge her at all. He just sat there on the cold stone floor in his own little world. He looked horrible. His hair was dead and lifeless. His beautiful clothes torn and tattered. Blood stained his white shirt and cuts and bruises marred his handsome features. She slowed to a walk as she neared him. He was ignoring her completely. 

She fell to her knees just a few feet from him. "Jareth, please…please look at me."

Jareth sighed deeply but did not look at her. "Why should I….when you are not real?" 

'I am real Jareth." She reached to touch him and he pulled away, leaving the comfort of the shaft of light and slipping into the dark shadows. Tears streamed down her face. He thought she was an illusion, a dream. 

"I am real Jareth. What must I do to make you believe that I am?"

"There is nothing you can do. I have not the strength to fight you and send you away, but I beg you to leave me to die in peace."

'No!" she shouted at him. Her cry echoed through the empty halls. "I'm not leaving you Jareth! I'm not going to let you die."

He shook his head, still refusing to look at her. "Please go, before he comes and kills you again. I can't bear to watch him kill you again…I can't."

"Who are you talking about?"

"The man with the hood." He said quietly. There was fear in his voice. 

"He appears and kills me?" She asked him. Jareth nodded. "Let him come. He can't hurt me here."

'He can and he will and I will not be able to watch again. Please let me suffer alone and in some peace. I don't want to go with her death as the last thing my eyes have seen. Let me remember the joy with her." Jareth jumped as warm gentle fingers touched his face. None of the other illusions or dreams had touched him before. They all had tried to get him to believe that they were real, yet none of them had touched him. He pulled away harshly. No doubt his enemy had gained some power over him and he used the illusion of Sarah to trick him. He would not be tricked. 

Sarah frowned as Jareth pulled away. Tears streamed down her face as he pushed himself into the wall to get away from her touch. 'I came too late…" she sobbed. "I came too late…" She sank to the floor and buried her face into her hands. "I'm going to lose him…" 

A hand gently brushed back her dark hair from her face and Sarah peered up through blurry, tear filled eyes. Jareth had moved away from the wall and he was touching her and looking at her. His eyes were filled with fear. He was afraid that she was a dream like all of the rest of them, yet he very much wanted to believe that she was real. "Please don't cry." He let out softly. 

"I can't help it." She told him. She reached up to touch his face and she watched as he rolled his cheek into the palm of her hand. "I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you, either." He told her softly. He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. Even if she was an illusion, he would rather die knowing he had forgiven her for leaving him when he needed her. "I…I forgive you."

"For what?" She asked confused. 

"For leaving me, when I needed you the most." He told her quietly. He kissed her hand again, revealing in the feel of the warmth he felt. None of the other illusions had felt so real. 

She began to sob. "I'm sorry that I left, I'm sorry that I broke my promise. I couldn't let you die."

"She must have died out on the road….she may have never even made it to the dragons…who will rule my kingdom…? Who will take care of little Ary?"

Sarah pulled back from Jareth. She thought he believed that she was real. Apparently he didn't! He believed that she was an illusion and that the real Sarah had died. He was only taking comfort in her because she was something and something was better than nothing. 

Jareth was startled by her actions. None of the other illusions had pulled away from him at his words. They had only fallen against him. 

"You don't think I'm real…do you?" She asked him. 

"I know you are not."

Sarah pulled away from him and stood. Jareth gazed up at her in confusion. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because the real Sarah is dead."

"No, she isn't! She's alive! She's right here with you! I am the real Sarah!"

Jareth sighed. Disappointment stabbed at his heart. She **was** like the other illusions. They all claimed to be real. The room began to tremble and Jareth keeled over, gripping himself tightly. He couldn't block the incoming vision. 

"You're no match for me, Jareth. You never were." The hooded man stood before him once again. Jareth knew what would happen next. The man would kill Sarah and Jareth would be forced to watch, again. The hooded man turned to Sarah. "Ready to die again?"

"You can't kill me here, Gorgin." She spat his name. Jareth glanced up, despite the pain that wracked his lithe body. Gorgin? Could this man be Gorgin?

The hood was gently lowered from the man's head. It was indeed Gorgin who stared back at both Sarah and Jareth. "Ah, so the lady has figured things out well before her lover has. And this unexpected bravery will get you no where, my lady. I **can** kill you and I will."

Jareth fell against the wall, closing his eyes to block out what he knew would come. Sarah watched in horror as Gorgin pulled forth a large iron blade. He walked toward her and raised it above his head, ready to strike her. She closed her eyes and made herself remember. 

__

Nothing can hurt me here, nothing can hurt me here….

"What the?" Sarah opened her eyes to see the blade travel through her body yet it disappeared when it should have been cutting open her flesh. "Impossible!" Gorgin called out again. He raised the blade once more and again the blade disappeared when it came into contact with Sarah's flesh. Gorgin growled. 

Sarah looked to Jareth, hoping that he had seen this. Gorgin couldn't hurt her as long as she believed he couldn't. But Jareth had hidden his face, afraid of watching her die again. 

'Fine, if I can't kill you, I'll kill him!" Gorgin rushed at Jareth and Sarah cried out in alarm. The blade ran through Jareth's side, cutting him open. Sarah fell to her knees and began to sob. 

'No, I've come so far….he can't die."

Gorgin only laughed and he grinned as Jareth's body slumped toward the floor. Gorgin's evil laugh echoed through the halls as he disappeared. 

Sarah rushed to Jareth. "No.. please…please this wasn't how it was supposed to end…Please don't die. Please don't leave me." She sobbed. 

Jareth slumped against the wall, his eyes focusing on Sarah. "He didn't hurt you…how..how is that possible?" She didn't have a scratch on her. 

"Because I am real Jareth. Nothing can hurt me here unless I allow it…" 

Jareth groaned as the pain of his injury overwhelmed him. He tried to focus on Sarah but the pain made it difficult. He brought one hand to her face and lovingly stroked her cheek. "At least I was able to see you….one last time…"

The tears rolled over Jareth's hand as Sarah cried. "Please don't leave me…please…"

"It's too late now, Sarah… would you do…one thing before I go…?"

Sarah nodded. The tears streamed endlessly down her face. "I'll do anything for you.. You know that." 

He smiled. "Would you kiss me…one last time?" She nodded, trying to smile at him, but it wasn't working. She leaned toward him and she allowed her lips to touch his. His mouth rose to meet hers and he kissed her eagerly. She had intended to give him a light kiss and then hold him in her arms before he passed yet she found she could not lift her mouth from his. 

Jareth lost himself in her kiss and the pain from his injury was nearly forgotten. Such love emanated from Sarah that all that had happened to him seemed to be forgotten. He felt love from her as if he had never felt before. The pain nearly forgotten, he reached for her, hungrily kissing her mouth, surprised by the strength that suddenly filled him. His hands began to roam, seeking her soft skin. Sarah moaned against him, losing herself in his touch. 

Jareth's hands continued to roam and as he brushed over her swollen belly he gasped. 

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked alarmed. 

'The baby….I sense it's presence here with us." He smiled and then kissed Sarah's lips. "You are real…and the baby is real…I can sense him."

'Him?" Sarah questioned. 

Jareth nodded. "Close your eyes." He gently took Sarah's hand into his own and then positioned her palm over her belly. 

Her eyes shot open. "I can sense him, but how?"

Jareth smiled. "You are linked to my mind, aren't you?"

Sarah nodded furiously. "Yes…yes I am. I tried to tell you." 

"Ssssh." Jareth smiled and kissed Sarah's lips lightly. 

Suddenly Sarah felt herself grow lightheaded. The world around her and Jareth began to fade from her eyes and senses. "Jareth, what's happening?"

"The link is closing…You're returning to the physical world."

"Jareth?? Jareth??" Her frantic voice echoed through Jareth's mind and then there was silence….


End file.
